Being half-Parsi is not really helping Farah Khan make her acting debut as Parsi woman in Bela Sahgal's Shirin Farhad. The super-choreographer needs more time to prepare for her part. And her co-star Boman's the reason for it. While Farah is only half-Parsi, Boman is a full Parsi. To match his natural Parsi accent and body language would take Farah more time to acclimatize herself to the role of 45-year old near-spinster seeking and finding love in a chronically single Mama's 'boy' (read: middle-aged man).
And time is not Farah's most obtainable commodity right now. Her stint as judge on a dance reality show is sapping more of her energy than she had imagined. On top of all, her stress of going into a completely new area (acting) with a debutant director, Farah now has to cope with the extra baggage of changing her body-language and appearance for Shirin's part.
To play Shirin in Bela Sehgal's Shirin Farhad, Farah will not only have to sound Parsi, she will also have to look like a 40-plus Parsi woman. A tough task. And Farah has asked for time to prepare.
Says a source, "After the magical benchmark performance as a Parsi woman that Shabana Azmi gave under seasoned director Vijaya Mehta's direction in Pestonjee, Farah and Bela have a hard act to follow up. In Pestonjee, Shabana had to match her Parsi accent and appearance with the inimitable Naseeruddin Shah. Neither of them was a Parsi. Farah is half-Parsi. But her co-star Boman Irani is a full-on Parsi and a brilliant actor to boot. Farah has asked Boman to attend rehearsals with her and Boman has generously agreed to support Farah's debut, so that their performances look well-matched on screen.
Says the choreographer-turning-actress, "I am very nervous. And I need time to prepare. Boman has promised to do readings (rehearsals) with me. I am spending a lot of time with lots of Parsis, trying to catch their accent, observing the way they dress, walk, talk, interact. My Parsi side is strong in my emotional personality, my behaviour and quirks. But none of us in my family speaks Parsi. We all married into non-Parsi communities."
Farah agrees Shabana's Parsi act in Pestonjee is unbeatable. "But my part in Shirin Farhad is very different. No two Parsi women are the same."
As for Bela Sehgal's brief that Farah changes her appearance and body language for the part Farah quips, "I'm a director's actress. I will do whatever I am asked to."
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