Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha joins the jolly bunch that made up the light-hearted comedy Happy Bhag Jayegi (2016) and will step up the chaos with her zany presence in the comedy’s sequel, releasing in the UAE this weekend.
The original and the second chapter directed by Mudassar Aziz, featuring a motley crew of characters played by Diana Penty and Jimmy Shergill, has retained most of its original cast, but Sinha is the latest addition to the line-up.
The daughter of actor-politician Shatrugnan Sinha, who made her debut in Bollywood eight years ago with the Salman Khan-led blockbuster Dabangg, believes she has come a long way.
“I am in a good space now,” said Sinha in an interview with Gulf News tabloid!.
We spoke to the actress to find out more about the wacky comedy of errors, her dramatic fitness transformation and whether her latest comedy is xenophobic...
What’s Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi about?
It’s a comedy that seems that you can’t take things too seriously enough. It’s a film where the characters, their goofiness and their chemistry will form the essence of the film. Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi has taken the story forward. All the characters that were loved by the audiences have been retained, and a few more have been added. Jassi [Punjabi singer who makes his Bollywood debut with HPBJ] and I are the additions and we take all the action to China. In the original, there was just one Happy [Penty], but here there are two women named Happy and that unleashes a case of mistaken identities. The story of this film unfolds from that point.
What did you love most about being a part of this comedy?
There’s a lot of physical comedy and it’s something that I enjoy immensely. As a person I am not serious in nature and I tend to see the humour in everything. I don’t take things seriously either and I love to laugh. I love making people laugh too. If you were to give me a funny situation to enact, I would have already imagined dozens of way to play it out in my head. But finally, the director will tell you the way he wants me to play it out. There’s so much space of improvisation here as an actor. I got to try out a lot of fun stuff of approaching a comic scene. That doesn’t mean it required to be comical, but just inherently funny. Acting in Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi was an amazing experience.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate Jimmy Shergill and his deadpan, wry hit. He was the best part of the original. Do you share my thoughts here?
That’s the beauty of this film. These actors are funny people in real life too. He’s constantly cracking jokes. Jassi is funny in a Punjabi manner. So when you put all these guys in a room, there’s bound to be fireworks. Trust me, we had so much fun filming it and that good natured camaraderie will reflect on the big screen too.
In the trailers, all of you seem to be taking a swipe at the Chinese. Isn’t that slightly xenophobic?
It’s all done in jest. But this is a question that is best answered by the director or the writer of Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi. Neither have I written or directed it.
But when you are acting in it and mouthing those lines, aren’t you accountable as an actor?
I am an actor and I was just doing my job that I was supposed to do. It was all done in good fun. We shouldn’t take it too seriously. There’s a fun explanation to it all which goes… if you don’t poke fun of your neighbours, then who would? Happy Phirr is designed to make people laugh. This comedy is not some mindless comedy. It’s got a strong story to it and isn’t illogical by any stretch.
What kind of comedies do you feast on in your personal time?
I love dark humour and I enjoy watching comedy as a genre. I love watching slapstick comedies along with the relatively sensible ones.
You have completed eight years in the industry this year. Are you happy with the space that you are in?
People tend to talk behind your back when they don’t know what to expect. But when you start delivering in films, they just stop talking. Over the years, I have been delivering well. I take great pride in being an actor who can be put in a Bollywood commercial potboiler or a film like Noor. My directors are confident that they can put me in any situation in a film and I can deliver. I am happy about that and I like to keep that balance. It has been a wonderful experience and journey so far. I have learnt on the job and I credit that as my experience.
But Noor wasn’t a resounding hit… But you still count that as experience?
Any film in which my experience is appreciated, it’s a plus for me. But what happens at the box office is not in my hands, but in the audience’s hands. I don’t like to stress about things I can’t control. For me, I give every film my 110 per cent. I approach every film like it is my first film. My film Lootera saw a lot of praise and compliments coming my way. Even today, people come up to me saying they enjoyed my performance as Pakhi. In my eyes, any role that gave me appreciation will only go towards boosting me an actor.
Sounds reasonable. But let’s get to the real issue. Your washboard abs. You seem to be in the peak of your physical fitness these days…
Trust me, I am still working on my abs and I am still a work in progress. For me, my motivation comes when you start seeing results after your exercise regime. I have surprised myself with my commitment in the last six months. I have been very serious about my workouts. Consistency is the key and I discovered an exercised that I enjoyed. Pilates is what I love doing. With cardio, I have begun setting goals for myself. It is now easier to work towards a goal instead of mindlessly jogging. Plus, when you start seeing results, you get motivated automatically.
So what next …
I sang the chorus for Chin Chin Chu along with Jazzi. It was such a fun experience to shoot and sing. I want to make my own music video, but I haven’t gotten round to it. I want to do it after my film releases.
Are you doing a Priyanka Chopra on us?
But I am doing my music video from here in India though. It’s home sweet home for me.
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Don’t miss it!
Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi releases in the UAE on August 23.
