The vivacious Amyra Dastur celebrates her birthday today. A few days before her big day, she graced the panel discussion at the Bollywood Hungama Style Icons Summit and Awards 2024. She later exclusively spoke to Bollywood Hungama about the experience, birthday plans and her much-talked-about scene in the 2023 web series, Bambai Meri Jaan.
How was your experience of being a part of a panel at the Bollywood Hungama Style Icons Summit and Awards 2024? You were quite funny and candid…
It was a lot of fun. I do get a little scared to go on the stage and talk in front of people. But I think I have a sense of humour. So, when I am nervous, I make jokes (laughs)!
You mentioned on stage that you own a few fake handles on social…
Yes, I have fake Instagram handles through which I fight with all my trolls! They don’t know it’s me.
May I know which handles are these?
Arre, how can I say? The trolls will also know na! Then, I won’t be able to hit back at them. So, you’ll never know. No one will ever know, in fact (smiles)!
You’ll complete years as an actor in July this year. You have worked not just in Bollywood and regional cinema but also in the Chinese industry. How has been your journey?
The journey has been amazing. I am very proud of how far I have come. Being in this industry, you have to hustle for every opportunity. The struggle was real in the beginning. Hence, it feels quite good right now to be recognized. When people address me by my name Amyra, it’s such a privilege. I am like, ‘Wow, people can pronounce my name and they have seen my work and even liked it’! Hence, I am very, very happy.
You started in Punjabi cinema with music videos and then worked in Punjabi films. You recently had a release in Punjabi, Furteela. What’s amazing is that you completely look like a Punjabi kudi in these films, which is not an easy task…
As an actor, it’s very important to be a chameleon and I pride myself on that. With the right hair and makeup, I feel you can look a certain way. The Punjabi industry is also very welcoming and warm. Also, it’s a growing industry. And honestly, regional cinema right now is doing better than Bollywood. I guess Bollywood is going to take about a year to correct itself.
You worked in the Jackie Chan-starrer Kung Fu Yoga (2017). What difference did you see between the Indian and Chinese film industries?
The main difference is the budget, at the end of the day. Since it was a Jackie Chan film, the budget was huge. It was also an international, global project. That was the main difference. Secondly, we shot with three different camera teams. There were three different sets and every time you finish your scene on Set # 1, for example, they’ll say, ‘Now, you have to shoot the next scene in Set # 3’. It literally cut down time and for me, it was the most ideal thing. With small-budget films, it gets challenging but it’s also fun because you have to help each other. You have to be really supportive. That experience also teaches you a lot. So, when you do a small film followed by a big-budget one followed by another small film, it makes you a lot more adaptable. And that’s important; as an actor, you have to adapt to every situation and environment at hand.
Your scene in Bambai Meri Jaan, where you scold Avinash Tiwary for not asking you out and even instructing him to apply brakes while riding the bike, has gone viral. It keeps getting shared by various Instagram pages. Did you ever realize that this scene will have such an impact?
I knew it’d go viral because this particular scene was just epic. We have hardly had scenes where the girl is yelling at the guy in such a way ki ‘break maar maar ke chala’! Our culture is sanskaari and hence guys are too shy to approach a girl. Even if you have been friends with a girl for so long and she’s close to you, guys still feel shy to ask the girl out! Hence, the scene is very refreshing because, at the end of the day, a lot of girls have this frustration that ‘Dude, I like you but you need to say that you like me too’ (laughs). It’s a very cute scene and one of the most favourite scenes I have done in my career.
What are your birthday plans?
I am actually avoiding it. I am working every day until my birthday. Usually, I am out of Mumbai on May 7 and this is the first time I am in the city. Hence, I am going to stick to a small family plan. I’d like to spend my birthday with my mother and father and my two cats that I have adopted this year (smiles).
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