Shikha Talsania | She always manages to charm the audience with her acting skills and she did the same in  Coolie No 1 which recently released on Amazon Prime Video. The actor shares with Musba Hashmi what attracted her to play Anjali, fun memories from the sets and how she always says no to a one dimensional role

What is your role in Coolie No 1?

I play Anjali, Sara’s sister. Our father, played by Paresh Rawal, is looking for the  richest of the rich husbands for us. Then we go on a trip with Raju and then the entertainment follows. You will have to watch the film to know the rest of it.

What attracted you towards the role?

The fact that she was in the Coolie No 1 and David Dhawan’s universe and also that she dances on Husnn Hai Suhaana, one of my favourite songs.

Any memories from the sets?

I remember with Husnn Hai Suhaana, Varun kept changing the steps because we wanted to make it more fun and also because the song is so fantastic. I was nervous for the first 15 minutes and then I got into the nerve and gave my suggestions as well. It was a lot of fun shooting for that song, it is like a dream come true moment for me.

Also, to get the chance to share the screen with people I have admired my whole life like Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Jaaved Jaaferi and Rajpal sir was epic. The final work with David Sir, who has collaborated with my father so many times, was just fantastic.

An advice given by your father that helped you on the way?

Yes, he has always been there to give me great advice, both of my parents have. He has always been supportive. He has always told me to have fun, keep your head down, keep working, make good friends while you are at it, don’t take yourself too seriously and stay grounded. This is the blanket advice that he has always given me. For this film, he just told me to have fun and that’s exactly what I did.

Has there been a role that you turned down?

I have always said no to a one dimensional character that was offered to me in the past quite a few times. It was of a fat girl and that’s all that there was to the character. She is either hungry or horny. These characters just don’t excite me as an actor and there’s a lot more to me than just being a fat girl. This industry, by the way, has always been kind to me and I have been able to find opportunities that challenge me as an actor.

What has been your take away from the industry in all these years?

There are some great people around. Make the most of your time when you are on the sets of films, have fun, just observe people, take notes since there is so much to learn every second when you are here in the industry.

What’s there in the pipeline?

All my attention is directed towards Coolie No 1. Also, there is some amazing work coming up. I am going back on stage and once the official announcements are made, I will let everyone know about it.