Three years ago, actress Jiah Khan burst onto the Bollywood scene by playing a seductive teen in Nishabd. Billed as Bollywood's answer to Lolita-meets-Poison Ivy, Khan was at her saucy best as she aggressively lured a 60-year-old married man (Amitabh Bachchan) with her feminine wiles.
But Khan, 22, is confused about her burgeoning sex-symbol tag and hopes that her latest release, Housefull, will help her shed this image. "I was typecast as this sexy girl because of my unconventional, bold debut. So, I can't really blame the media for typecasting me. Very frankly, if you were to see me in real life, you will know I am the complete opposite."
When tabloid! caught up with her over the phone from London, Khan was having a late lunch with her sister and was waiting for the airspace in the UK to clear up so that she could return to Mumbai to promote the film.
‘Hopeless romantic'
"People may find it difficult to believe, but I don't enjoy shopping like your regular celebrity or going club-hopping," Khan said. "I even wear spectacles during my downtime. In fact, in Housefull, I play a character that is closest to me in real life. I play this traditional Indian girl who is a hopeless romantic."
Though it is easier to picture Khan wearing skimpy shorts than saris, she adds that Housefull will help her turn over a new leaf. In the Sajid Khan-directed comedy, Akshay Kumar is seen dating three women at the same time, which sparks a string of hilarious moments.
"I don't regret making an unconventional debut in Nishabd, because right from [the] beginning I knew the concept of a young girl falling in love with an older man may not go down well with many [people]. I had made [my] peace with that, but with Housefull I will be attempting comedy for the first time ever. And let me tell you, comedy is not as easy as playing a wanton."
But Khan is quick to add that her role of the subservient Indian wife Devika is far from boring. "Watch out for this scene where I am actually whipping Akshay. That is my favourite scene and Akshay too rates this scene as his all-time favourite. I think I actually injured him in that scene," Khan said, declining to reveal any more details.
It's also Khan's first go at a multi-starrer. Housefull boasts an eclectic ensemble comprising Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Riteish Deshmukh, Deepika Padukone and Lara Dutta. Doesn't the three-films-old Khan fear being lost in the crowd?
"You might have such a fear if your character had not been etched out well. But with Sajid, such a situation never arose because his script justified our presence. Obviously, the main lead is Akshay and all of us flit in and out of his life. The atmosphere was always jovial and it was like a paid holiday for me."
Although Khan is relatively new in the industry, she is incredibly choosy about her projects. "It's easy to sign [on for] movies randomly, but I have never been tempted to go on a signing spree. I will be in a film only if the role interests me. I never pounce on anything typically."
Things you didn't know about Jiah
- She is scared of heights.
- She is obsessed with cars, but doesn't have a driver's licence yet. "I think I am too lazy to take the test and I feel as if I am back in school," she says.
- She hates onions.
- She has never gone for a drastic haircut. "The last experimental haircut [I had] was when I was 7. I love my long hair, it's like an accessory. All I do is trim it."
Jiah Khan's take on…
Akshay Kumar: "He is a complete prankster and he pulls all these pranks with a straight face. It's fun to be around him and he is one of the kindest co-stars. For instance, if you are struggling with a scene, he will help you out."
Arjun Rampal: "I had just one scene with him. He is incredibly good-looking and is a fun-loving guy."
