|
|
|
|
From
Tehelka Magazine, Vol 8, Issue 33, Dated 20 Aug 2011 |
|
| CULTURE & SOCIETY |
|
PSYCHOLOGIES |
|
‘I won’t become bulimic to fit into Bollywood’
WHO Shahana Goswami is a Delhi girl who made her Bollywood debut with Naseeruddin Shah’s Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota. She played Boman Irani’s daughter in Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. Her big break was Rock On, for which she won the Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) award. Her next project is Deepa Mehta’s Winds of Change, an adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Booker Prize winning novel Midnight’s Children.
 |
|
Shahana Goswami 25, Actress |
|
By Aastha Atray Banan
Your father is an economist and your brother is a physicist. How did they react to your career choice?
My father has done theatre, my brother is not the typical geeky physicist and my mother’s quite creative. So, they were absolutely fine with my ambition but were apprehensive about whether I would be able to handle it if I didn’t make it.
Were you popular in school?
I was always the fun, friendly one — the entertainer. I was popular with the boys because I played basketball and was the captain of the athletics team. I was never seen as a girl, I was seen as a buddy.
Are you insecure about not being the typical Bollywood actress?
I hadn’t thought about it when I made my debut. I did small roles as playing different characters became important. I thought that if people recognised my talents, the rest will fall in place. But that’s not the case. I am still not competing with anyone. I don’t want to be compartmentalised. It does make me want to look better but I won’t become bulimic because I want to fit in. I am very happy being me.
What realisations have you had after you became famous? Did people around you change?
My friends, teachers and family were proud of me. The main thing is that I didn’t change. I still take autos and eat on the street. I have the same friends I had when I first came to Mumbai.
Is it easy to date in Bollywood?
I have always had a boyfriend so I never dated here. Dating today is weird. You date, get intimate and then think about getting serious. I can’t deal with that. I would always be wondering if a man is dating me because I am an actress.
The best and worst thing about being an actress?
The best thing is the love you get from your fans. With Twitter and Facebook, it is so personal. The worst thing is this unnatural obsession with looks — not just your weight, but what you wear every time you are at an event. It’s harrowing.
Aastha Atray Banan is Senior Correspondent, Mumbai with Tehelka.
aastha@tehelka.com
|
