Aug 18, 2012

After the success of Rowdy Rathore, Dabangg girl Sonakshi Sinha is the new box office friendly heroine of Bollywood. TWF correspondent Sreya Basu speaks to the actor in Mumbai on her latest projects, including Joker 

Your debut film Dabangg was released in 2010. Your second film Rowdy Rathore was released after two years (in 2012). Wasn’t the gap too long?
 
I was shooting for all my films within this time period. I was not away but definitely was wanting to see myself on the big screen again.      
 
You were not into much dancing in Dabangg. But now you have literally become a dancing star.
 
Ya, now I prefer do films where I can go mad with dancing and acting like you already saw in Rowdy Rathore. All thanks to Prabhu (Deva) Sir (choreographer and director of Rowdy Rathore). I am sure it will help me a lot in my future projects. In Joker also I have scenes and dance numbers where I got to showcase madness.
 
You once said you will never do an item number. But now we see you grooving to the song Go Govinda (from OMG! Oh My God) with Prabhu Deva. What made you change your mind?
 
The term ‘item number’ is used very loosely these days. Any song which is a solo performance is tagged as an item number. People even called Chamak Challo Chel Chabeli from Rowdy Rathore an item song. But Go Govinda is a very special song … it’s a good one with Prabhu Sir … it’s for Akshay’s (Kumar) home production. If you have seen the song, you will know that it is very different from the item numbers that are done today.  
 
Do comparisons with other item numbers disturb you?
 
I don’t care for comparisons. I do what I feel good. I liked the song and did it. Where is the time? There are many films and so many songs.
 
Your cool look in the song has become a youth statement. Comment.
 
 (Laughs) This is my normal look. In my daily life, I wear jeans and T-shirt. Now that Go Govinda has become a hit, people are taking it as my style.
 
 What about wearing a nose ring with jeans?
 
It was done intentionally. It was a festive song involving a lot of young people and we tried to give it a natural look. We stuck to jeans and tees but kept the nose ring as an Indian touch and I also wore a choli inside. So it was mixed and matched. I am happy that people loved it.   
 
What made you sign Joker?
 
I love watching sci-fi (science-fiction) films and reading sci-fi books. When Farah (Khan) and Shirish Kunder (director) came to me with the script, I found it very interesting and felt such a subject has never been attempted in Hindi films.
 
Why is that you are taking people dressed up as aliens with you to every promotional event for Joker?
 
These aliens are the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of the film. People have loved the aliens shown in Joker promos and hence we decided to take them wherever we go to promote the film.
 
We have seen a lot of aliens in Hindi films. How different are the ones in Joker from them?
 
Our aliens are very good dancers.
 
You will also be featuring in Dabangg 2. Do you consider yourself lucky for Salman Khan given that Dabangg changed the box office equation for him?
 
 Media has always been saying this. But I think it was collective energy … everyone worked really hard on the film.
 
Your title keeps changing with every new release. This time it’s Joker.
 
Yes. My title changes with my films. When my first film was released, people started calling me Sonakshi Dabangg Sinha, then it was Rowdy Sonakshi and now I have become a Joker. My next film is Son Of Sardaar. So then you will call me Daughter Of Sardaarni. Let’s see what else lies in future.
 
 Now-a-days heroines are turning singers (like Priyanka Chopra). Did you ever think of trying your voice at singing?
  
I don’t know why from my face people feel that I can sing. But I cannot sing and please don’t make me sing.
 
Fans like your bindaas attitude in films. Are you like that in real life as well?
 
Yes. I am a pucca Bombaiya girl … born and brought up in the city … and quite rowdy.   

Trans World Features (TWF)