After facing the camera for the first time in a Telugu-language film called Loafer in 2015, actress Disha Patani has not looked back. From sizzling alongside Tiger Shroff in a single called ‘Befikra’ to starring in one of 2016’s most successful films, namely M.S. Dhoni: the Untold Story, alongside Sushant Singh Rajput, Patani’s star power is growing with every project.
Disha Patani with her Kung Fu Yoga co-star Jackie Chan.
BorderCrossing
The actress talks to Instep about her new film with Jackie Chan,
future projects and more.
After facing the camera for the first time in a Telugu-language film called Loafer in 2015, actress Disha Patani has not looked back. From sizzling alongside Tiger Shroff in a single called ‘Befikra’ to starring in one of 2016’s most successful films, namely M.S. Dhoni: the Untold Story, alongside Sushant Singh Rajput, Patani’s star power is growing with every project.
In 2017, she starred in the Indian-Chinese collaborative effort, Kung Fu Yoga alongside Jackie Chan and Sonu Sood and as Patani explains it, the experience remains a memorable one.
“It was super fun, I have such memorable memories from the sets,” says Patani as we speak over the phone about her latest film. “It was a surreal experience for me to be able to share the screen with a living legend, whose movies I’ve watched growing up.”
Patani landed the role after auditioning for it and it remains an experience that has molded her professional outlook to a certain degree. “The film has made me more focused, disciplined and determined to excel at whatever challenge that comes my way,” she observes.
Patani also revealed that though she was starstruck when she first met her Kung Fu Yoga co-star Jackie Chan at a dinner along with the rest of the cast, she also has fond memories of shooting with the veteran star. “He taught me a Chinese song and I taught him the Hindi song, ‘Tu Meri’ from Bang Bang and we also danced to them,” she laughs before adding that Chan is both modest and unpretentious.
“He would get us desserts daily – cakes, ice-creams or chocolates for everyone on the set, including the spot boys.”
Like Deepika Padukone (who made her Hollywood debut this year in Vin Diesel’s XXX: Return of Xander Cage) and Priyanka Chopra (who starred in two seasons of American TV series Quantico and is gearing up for her Hollywood debut with The Rock’s Baywatch), Patani too has her eyes on global dominion. “There’s no rocket science to it,” she responds when asked if she would like to built a career internationally. “If I’m offered a great script and a great role then I’m all up for it. I just need to make sure that I learn something from every project that I do, and I am able to polish my skills further.”
While explaining the feel behind her latest effort, Kung Fu Yoga, she states: “Expect a lot of comedy and action. It’s very different from what I’ve done, because firstly, it’s with ‘the’ Jackie Chan and secondly, because I’ve tried my hand at something that I wanted to do, like action. I am sure that Kung Fu Yoga is the kind of movie that appeals to a worldwide audience and one that has brought different cultures together.”
For Patani, who is part of an ensemble star cast, screentime is not a concern.“I don’t think about screen-space at all. I just believe in offering the audience good work and doing complete justice to the character that I portray.”
Unlike her contemporaries, Patani believes that she doesn’t have any baggage after having a successful run in showbiz last year. “There’s no pressure as such. I give my hundred per cent to every project and work hard to do full justice to it.”
Responding to the non-stop machinery of rumours, she notes, “It doesn’t bother me at all. I’m here to work and only stories related to my work affect me. I take in both positive and negative feedback about my work only, and that is to better myself by the day.”
The coming months ahead will be busy for Patani as she is in the process of signing two Bollywood films out of the six that have been offered to her in recent history.
Reflecting on how the role of women in Indian cinema has evolved, Patani tells Instep on a concluding note: “Different stories have a different way of being portrayed. If a certain film is male-centric, it doesn’t mean that the actress is just on the sidelines. There are several female-oriented films as well where the men are not prominent, but we never complain about them being objectified. Women empowerment to me is equal opportunity in every field.”
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Disha Patani with her Kung Fu Yoga co-star Jackie Chan.
