“I play a young, rebellious high school girl in Always Kabhi Kabhi” – Zoa Morani

By Screen Weekly -

April 2, 2011 - 8:41 AM IST

Zoa Morani is on cloud nine after bagging her debut role in Shah Rukh Khan's Always Kabhi Kabhi, an adaptation of Roshan Abbas' 1999 play, Graffiti.

Launch Vehicle

I play a young, rebellious high school girl called Nandini in Always Kabhi Kabhi, which is directed by Roshan Abbas and produced by Shah Rukh Khan. The film focusses on four students, played by Ali Fazal, Giselle Monteiro, Satyadev Dubey and me -- who are in the last year of their school and how an incident changes their lives forever.

Casting Coup

A friend of Roshan Abbas showed him my pictures. He called me for a screen test, but it was a mere formality as he had liked my photos and had already finalised me for the role.

Stepping Stone

I am totally new to this field. But I always wanted to be an actor so I assisted Farah Khan for Om Shanti Om and Raj Kumar Santoshi for Halla Bol. I thought this was the best way to learn acting as I used to be on the sets for long hours and observe how the actors performed. Apart from this, I have also taken classes atAnupam Kher's and Barry John's acting schools respectively. These courses are really helpful as they help you to polish your acting skills.

First Shot

According to me, my first shot was difficult as it was a serious scene. I had to sit alone in a room and think about a serious situation. It was tough as it was not only my 'first' shot but also a solo scene, so the entire focus was on me. But the director and everyone else on the sets helped me to get the right expressions. I did not have to give too many takes. Most of my scenes were done in just one take.

Stumbling Blocks

There were just a few but I managed to overcome them. For instance, there was a song sequence in Goa where I had to jump in ice cold water. It was tough but I did it. Later, despite being ill, I shot for the Lucknow schedule as we wanted to wind up the shoot. There was also a hilarious incident wherein my shoe's heel broke five times while filming a dance sequence. It became a joke on the sets.

Lessons Learnt

I have learnt that this profession demands a lot of patience. An actor should always have a faith in the director and one should also be confident about oneself.

Matinee Idol

I have grown up watching Karisma Kapoor's films. She is not only beautiful but an excellent actress. I also like Priyanka Chopra.

Future Projects

I'm just waiting for the film to release and keeping my fingers crossed that it will open new doors for me.

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