‘My mum’s my greatest inspiration’

says Soha Ali Khan. After all, how many actresses can boast of a perfect marriage with not even a breath of a scandal?

She was then seen in the Bengali film Iti Srikanto.

Then followed Hriday Shetty's Pyar Mein Twist in which her co-stars were Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia and then Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali film Antar Mahal in which she was teamed with Jackie Shroff and Abhishek Bachchan.

Her latest release is Shaadi No 1 produced by Vashu Bhagnani and directed by David Dhawan.

Her co-stars in the film were Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Zayed Khan, Sharman Joshi, Ayesha Takia, Riya Sen, Aaarti Chabria, Sophie and Esha Deol. Phew!

At the outset, Soha Ali Khan, who looked gorgeous at the star-studded premiere of Shaadi No 1 at the multiplex Cinemax in Mumbai, confessed that the idea of taking up acting was entirely her personal decision.

Her greatest critic and friend

Soha does not hesitate when asked who her greatest critic is — her mother Sharmila Tagore or her brother Saif Ali Khan, who are both in films.

"My mother is my greatest critic. I really appreciate that as it is good to be aware about everything before you take a final decision," she says.

Is her mother her inspiration too?

"My mother definitely is my inspiration, but more than that, what I appreciate about her is that she has had no scandals in her life and a perfect marriage. I must say that because for an actress it is not easy to have a harmonious personal life."

"I have always been very proud of my mother's achievements and when people say that I look like her, I am more than glad."

"When I am even written about on the same page along with her, I feel a sense of déjà vu. Of course, at the same time it also makes me quite nervous. After all, she is a huge star who has worked in around 200 films while I am still a baby."

Which of her mother's movies have left an indelible impression on her?

"Movies like Mausam, Daag, Chupke Chupke and Bengali movies like Devi and Apur Sansar without any doubt have inspired me not only as a daughter but also as an actress."

As an actress, which quality of your mother do you think that you have derived?

"The complete involvement and devotion to your work is the quality I feel that I have derived from my mother. Any role, I forget myself and get into the skin of the character, which I feel is essential to succeed as an actress. I have been observing my mother and that really touches me".

Soha says that working with a director like Rituparno Ghosh who had directed her mother earlier was a learning experience.

"I learnt a lot working with actors like Jackie Shroff and Abhishek Bachchan at such an early stage in my career as an actress."

How does her father Nawab of Pataudi regard her acting?

"My father is not against my acting but films do not fancy him much, he hardly watches any movies and is media-shy."

A fun movie

I ask her what her role in David Dhawan's Shaadi No 1 is.

"I play a lawyer who thinks she has a successful marriage but gets panicky when her husband has an extra-marital affair. The movie is fun-filled."

What was it like working with David Dhawan?

"David Dhawan is a fast paced director so it was not easy working with him but at the same time, it was a learning experience!"

Besides acting in Rang De Basanti in which her co-stars are Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Waheeda Rehman, Soha Ali Khan has also been signed by producer Anjum Rizvi for his next venture, a love story set in Delhi to be directed by Shivam Nair. Her co-star in the film, which has yet to be titled, is Abhay Deol.

And how does she rate herself as an actress five years from now?

"I cannot say because five years is a long time. Nevertheless, I am quite positive about my future releases."