For Jiah Khan, last three years have been quite eventful in Bollywood. After making a beginning with Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Nishabd‘ (2007), she went on to work along with none other than Aamir Khan in ‘Ghajini‘ (2008). Now she arrives in an out and out masala affair like ‘Housefull‘ where she is paired opposite Akshay Kumar. For any young actor, sharing screen space with three of the biggest superstars in Bollywood would have been akin to a dream journey.
After a couple of serious outings like ‘Nishabd‘ and ‘Ghajini‘, one can well assume that she must have had quite some fun shooting for a much lighter affair like ‘Housefull‘.
“I completely agree with that”,
smiles Jiah,
“Having said that, I was so very nervous before I started the shoot. I have never done comedy for the big screen though I was quite good at it when I was in the acting school. However, these are two entirely different things because I was a lot more relaxed at school. Here I was working with such huge stars and it was imperative that with actors like Akshay, Riteish and Lara around, each of whom is known for his/her comic timing, I get it all right. Thankfully, this is where Sajid comes in because he has his own ways of making you feel comfortable and deliver well. He has got so many jokes handy with him; he is simply a genius.”
For someone who started off on an unconventional note with ‘Nishabd‘ and ‘Ghajini‘, it was a great experience for Jiah to get into something which was far more mainstream in Bollywood parlance.
“To be honest, it is really fabulous to be part of such a big project. However, it also happens a number of times that huge money is spent on the project and it ends up looking and doing good as well but it doesn’t do much for an actor. This is why at the moment I can’t really say anything. Let the film release”,
she smiles,
“I know for sure though that Sajid has made a fantastic film and those who watch Hindi films regularly would love it.”
— Rudhir Burman
