"I am really thankful to God that I have done my first film with Vikram Bhatt." - Anjori Alagh 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, March 2, 2007 - 12:20 IST
Anjori Alagh is another addition to the list of actors debuting this year. She is the daughter of character artist Maya Alagh, and is all set to follow mamma’s footsteps by
making a debut in Vikram Bhatt’s multi-starrer Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie. Read on, as the beautiful actor acquaints herself and her role in the film, which is slated
for an April release this year.
Being the daughter of Maya Alagh… did this help you get a break?
Well it helped me in the sense that it was easier for me to meet people. My mother being an actress and knowing people helped me because people were more
acceptable. But no it did not help me in getting a break. I still had to struggle the same amount as everybody else. I still had to go for my auditions and still had to do the
same amount of struggling. In that sense, it did not help me.
| My mother being an actress and knowing people helped me because people were
more acceptable. |
How did Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie happen then?
Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie happened very randomly actually. I had met Vikram a couple of months before I got this offer. I had just gone to meet him with my
pictures, just to see if he had anything that I could do. It was just a random meeting, so that he could keep my face in mind just in case anything came up. He called me a
couple of months later and said he was doing a film called Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie. So I went to meet him once again, and he narrated the script to me, and I
loved it. So my break was just as random as Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie!
| My break was just as random as Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie!
|
Did you always want to be an actress?
Yes, I always wanted to be an actress. I used to do acting as a child. So my comfort with the camera started there. I started acting at the age of four, I started very
young. And then I stopped when I was about ten, and continued studying. I was doing a lot of ad films with Prahlad Kakkar at the time. And when I went to Stanford, I
did a summer course in acting when I was in university. That’s when I decided that I was still interested in acting. So I decided to major in theatre while I was in
university.
| I used to do acting as a child. So my comfort with the camera started there.
|
So you think formal training in acting is very important?
I think it is very important. Yes, there are people who are talented, and the talent is inborn. But I also think you do need to train yourself for a lot of things that you don’t
realize that you need to know when you come in front of the camera. A lot of people say that you only learn when you come in front of the camera, and it is practical
training that is the best. I agree with that, there are a lot of things which you can’t learn by the book. But I also feel there are a lot of skills that you need to polish before
you face the camera, and it just makes you that much more confident. It is always better to know what you’re doing before you arrive at it, as opposed to not knowing
anything.
Tell us a little bit about your role in the film.
The name of my character is Ishita Sharma. The story is about five friends who have a bet as to who is going to be the happiest amongst all of them. All the five
characters have very strong views about what they want in their life. Ishita is this normal college-going girl, she is very strong-headed and she knows exactly where she
wants to be in life, and she knows what is going to make her happy. She believes that money is the one thing she needs that is going to make her happy. Henceforth what
happens in her life, while she is trying to attain all that money is what her story is all about.
Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie is a multi-starrer. Did you have any apprehensions about getting lost amidst already established co-stars?
Yes, you tend to get scared because you are the newcomer amongst established film stars. But I have always believed that if you are good at what you do, then you will
get noticed, regardless of whether you are alone or amongst four other people. And if you are terrible, then you’re just terrible you know. Then there is nothing in this
world that can save you. So for me it was okay. And honestly, I liked the script so much that it was a challenge. And it was definitely worth taking it on. I was nervous to
do the film only because it was a challenging role. I took working with four other established people as a very positive thing. There was no downside to it. At the most,
they would correct me and help me out.
| If you are good at what you do, then you will get noticed. And if you are terrible, then
you’re just terrible you know. |
Were they always pulling pranks on you... since you were the little one?
(Laughs)…No they were not pulling pranks on me. They were all really nice to me. They were always very helpful. I got along with all of them very well. So it was very
comfortable and a great atmosphere to work in. If I had questions or doubts, they would actually sit down and help me out.
How was it working with Vikram Bhatt?
Vikram is a great teacher. I was very nervous initially, but he has a knack of making you feel comfortable, and making you feel like it’s all going to be ok, and the world is
not shattering. He is a phenomenal director. I am really thankful to God that I have done my first film with him. He is so amazing, and he is very clear on what he wants.
So he explains it to you very precisely. He doesn’t leave anything to chance. He makes things clear and explains it easily to you. And makes us feel very comfortable. I
ask him a thousand questions and he is fine with it, I rehearse with him as often as I want. So he is great to work with.
Any memorable moments that took place during the shoot?
Actually all of them were good memories, because for me it was the first time for everything. So we actually had a good time shooting this entire thing. For me everything
was a memory – from my first dance sequence to my first crying scene.
Which of your mom’s films is your favourite?
Actually I can tell you one of my mom’s scenes, which is my favourite. My mother did J.P Dutta’s LOC. There is a scene in which she is talking on the phone to Ajay
Devgan, who plays her son. She is very scared and she is talking about all the other soldiers who are getting shot and dying. It’s a very crucial scene in the film, and she
has done it so beautifully that you can just see that she plays this completely uneducated woman whose heart is going out to all these kids who are dying in the war. I
actually started howling watching that scene, I actually wanted to go and hug her.
You must have learned a lot from your mom…
Yes, she is my biggest critic. Before I do anything, I always take her opinion on it because she is very straight-forward with me, she is very honest. So if she doesn’t like
a particular thing, I know I have a problem coming my way! I always need her opinion before I start anything.
| If my mom doesn’t like a particular thing, I know I have a problem coming my way!
|
Who would you say is your mentor?
My mentor would actually be Vikram now. But from my childhood, I have two – which is my mom and my dad, because they both have been great influences in my life.
Are there any directors, besides Vikram of course, you aspire to work with?
Oh my God, there are tonnes! I would absolutely love to work with Pradeep Sarkar, Sudhir Mishra, Nagesh Kukunoor, of course Yash Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
There are tonnes!
So would you like to do a serious film like say… Dor?
Yeah I love serious films; I like thought-provoking films. But at the same time, I also love the whole commercial aspect – Hindi commercial cinema like typical love
stories. I like both. I am very open to doing different genres of movies. But I would definitely love to do a Nagesh Kukunoor film. His films are very inspiring, and when I
walk out of the movie, I feel very inspired.
| Nagesh Kukunoor’s films are very inspiring, and when I walk out of the movie, I feel
very inspired. |
Which other project are you working on now?
I am going to be doing Tigmanshu Dhulia’s film called Fame. That is going to start in the next couple of months.
Finally, what does Anjori mean?
The first beam of moonlight! It’s a name of UP origin.
And how Alagh can we expect you to be?
Very Alagh!...because I have been brought up that way. And you will have to see my work and decide if I am right.
|
An interview with Vikram Bhatt
