JOIN USDifficult to believe that the girl who scared the living daylights out of audiences in theatres (with her ‘possessed-act’ in Vikram Bhatt’s horror flick 1920) could charm them with her glamorous avatar, Metrolife quizzes Adah Sharma about her life before and after the recently released Hasee Toh Phasee.
Looking quite sexy in shimmery orange saree she establishes herself as “Pukka commercial heroine. After seeing me in 1920, who would have thought I could carry such a look? So full credit goes to Mukesh Chhabra who cast me for this role and even Vinil Matthew (director) and Vikas Bahl (producer),” says Adah who is superstitious and chose not to discuss about the movie until recently.
“Things are a little uncertain in this industry,” she comments and narrates how she was clear from the beginning to act in films. “Since childhood I was always dancing on the stage or acting. When in Std V, I managed to convince my parents about my choice of profession and my mother even agreed. Even though I was a good student, I didn’t continue my studies post Std X,” says the lass who became the only one in her family of post graduates to venture into the film industry. She doesn’t regret not attending college and feels that she “read a lot more and practised piano, dance and painting instead. I hung around with same friends who bunked college to watch movies while I had none to miss!”
A gymnast since the age of three and a trained Kathak dancer, this multi-faceted actress had to prove herself initially. “After many rejections when I got 1920, I went back home and told my mother – there is 30-day action in this film! But after 1920, I had nothing to refer myself to in terms of my capability to play a glamorous role. I couldn’t show them that I played a possessed,” she reveals narrating her struggles before auditioning for Hasee....
Happy that people are not typecasting her and enjoying to play different characters, Adah considers herself lucky to have worked with the creme-de-la-creme of the industry. “Vikram Bhatt is a fantastic director and has a certain level of restrained madness which is necessary in a creative field. If the shoot was to start at 9am, he would land on the sets at 8.55am! I have worked with directors and producers who have clear vision. Even though Vikas Bahl and Karan Johar are very big names, but they are very humble and interact with everyone warmly.”
Contrary to her docile looks, Adah confesses she is always the prankster on the sets. “While shooting for Hasee..., I stole a walkie-talkie and spoke to one of the AD’s in the voice of a sexy dancer on the sets, who has a crush on him,” she laughs sharing the incident but soon makes another confession, “Not being from the film background, making contacts isn’t my strong point. But I feel that you do get your due, if you are talented.”
“For me it’s important that people remember me after they come out of the hall. I wouldn’t be happy playing a blink-and-you-miss role, so agreed for Hasee... because my character was well-defined and pivotal to the script,” she says without any qualms about having to play the second female lead.
Also basking in the success of her Telugu film Heart Attack, directed by doyen Puri Jagannadh, Adah doesn’t seem to be content. “I am very greedy. My list of people who I want to work with is very long. It has got every name and I might have to fax it to you,” she says informing that she has already signed a Telugu and a Hindi film but refuses to divulge further, “Remember, I am superstitious!”