"I wanted to shoot my second film with SRK and KJo" - Sana Saeed : Bollywood News

Youve sacrificed your studies for SOTY. Thats a big move.

When I was eight years old, I didnt know how big Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was. But now when I sit back and look at the film I am like - Oh my God, I am on SRKs back. But it didnt hit me then. It was a huge opportunity and it was a debut film of KJo too. He has directed five films and I am a part of two. I havent been in touch with KJo in the past fourteen years and Student Of The Year got us connected again. I sacrificed my New York Film Academy course to pick SOTY. It was a brave move at my age I think.

Everyone judges you as the girl from KKHH. Is it time to leave that image behind?

People always try and compare you with your previous performance. Then you dont know how well you are going to be accepted too. They want to see you do something different. But I dont care. It is a deja-vu moment for me. Ive sat with KJo every day during KKHH and now when I sat with him, somehow it is so easy to get what he is trying to say. I was scared of Karan during KKHH and I was under pressure this time too (laughs). I knew I had to only learn my lines and go. He knows exactly what he wants from his actors. I could not have messed this up and I gave more than hundred percent in SOTY.

Did you audition for your role in SOTY?

I auditioned for SOTY and got the film. But before that I got all the things done by the old school method in B-town. I made my portfolio. I asked a few people who I should mail my pictures till I emailed Nandini who was casting for SOTY. I got a call from Dharma Productions office saying that theyve already cast the leads but they were looking for important character actor roles. I wanted to try and the chances of meeting KJo looked promising. I was called for a boisterous character in the movie. I had to go with this high pony tail, t-shirt, jeans. I was more cheeky that that. I didnt want to meet Karan in my tom-boy look. Then I got a call saying that I was shortlisted but they said I was too feminine looking for that character. My audition went to KJo but it was him who suggested Nandini to try me out for a character called Tanya. So now I had to wear a short dress and look glamorous. I was too confused. I got shortlisted again. Then I was called in for the third time. I somewhere knew that I had bagged the role, but which one was the question (laughs). All this and I play a high school hottie in SOTY.