FILMING
I was so excited when I got a much awaited call and it went like this: 'DC! Congrats! You are doing our film "Hai Apna Dil Toh Awaara"!’ I felt ecstatic! I mean I had bagged my first film! I kept telling myself 'you just got promoted from a model to an actor!' Whoa!! Soon, the shoot of the film began, after days of intense workshops. This is when I realised how much hard work people put into making a film… how much patience is required to act. There are endless rebuffs from the director (hope he is not reading this blog :p) and a number of arguments with costars about the scene but in the end it is for the good of the film! I'm forever trying to convince the stylist to let me wear my black dress and worry if I'm looking my best. But no matter how tired I am, when I see the monitor, I forget it all.
Acting really is fun. Acting in serials and films are different. Soaps are too mechanical… no offence to the small screen but they have time constraints unlike the big screen where there is no loud acting, no drama, all natural and subtle. It is about feeling the script, the lines and getting into the skin of my character. I followed a theory 'now and here' where I don't use references but simply be in the moment, in the scene and act as if it's happening with me right then. I learnt a lot from my costars, my directors and the whole team. We would discuss every aspect of the film for hours. Experience teaches a lot, makes a person confident. When you ain't scared of the camera it brings out the best in you!
Reminiscing about the end of our second fifteen-day schedule in Kashmir, I can't help but smile. I learnt so much, survived without phone network (minus the cribbing), no FB, no Whatsapp, nothing! And that was a good break from it all. It was us talking and giggling and having mad fun over Kahwa: the yummiest tea of Kashmir. Now I am back with crazy selfies, memories of snowball fights, taking each other's case, bonfires and so much more. Well the point here is it gets difficult to detach from places and people… we are talking about Kashmir here baby—heaven on earth—and a huge team of people dining together, working together, laughing, smiling… Boom! Cut to the shot of me eating alone and smiling as the memories flood my mind! Sigh! I love my job! I get to travel so much and every project brings with it a new experience, with a new set of people. Isn’t that exciting?
PRESENT DAY
'Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara', my debut film, releases tomorrow! I can't begin to tell you how I feel right now, it's like I have taken a test and now I am awaiting the result. The past two months have been ridiculously hectic, going for a number of interviews, television appearances, radio talk shows, print and digital campaigns. But the last fifteen days have been particularly extraordinarily hectic. We finished 8 cities promotional tour back to back, ate local food, met a zillion people. It's been packed to capacity, from morning to night… the time when you have to be on your toes, travel day and night back to back, sleep deprived, getting up early, rushing for hair and make up, all in different cities!! On the roll, on my toes, meeting people, going to colleges, media houses, radio stations, clubs. Oh boy, how I loved doing every bit of this; after all I have waited for this moment all my life. But I have to admit, the amount of hard work I had put in the shoot? It's equal to the work that went into promoting the film. I love it when people want selfies with me, dance on my film songs, shower love on me and then I see a variety of articles every day, get congratulatory calls et al. When I do not have a minute to waste, that's the kind of life I wanted and I guess I attracted it all right. Yeah!! But, anyway peeps, do go and watch 'Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara' in cinemas tomorrow; it's a story about three confused couples, with great music and narrative. This is Sanya from the amazing new age rom-com. See you tomorrow! xoxo
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