Dabangg is one of the year’s biggest blockbusters and the best new face of 2010, Sonakshi Sinha, admits that it feels wonderful to have made box-office history with her debut film. “But the one who’s really on top of the world is my dad (Shatrughan Sinha) who’s happy for and proud of me,” she beams.
“He relays with childlike delight every compliment he hears. He’s also a little bemused because suddenly, he’s not the only one getting the attention, despite one of his finest performances in Rakht Charitra. And his pampered darling is taking some of her own decisions too,” says she.
Lil’ Ms Sinha admits to being the obdurate sorts since she was a child. She points out that when everyone expected her to get into acting, she took up fashion designing. When they thought that she would never lose her puppy fat, she proved she could. “Then, they said I’d be just another star kid who was all talk and no show. I showed them I could do more than just talk,” she says.
Come 2011 and she has Shirish Kunder’s Joker to look forward to. Co-starring Akshay Kumar, she describes the film as “a real story in 3D”. Apart from the SFX, she’s looking forward to an item number choreographed by Farah Khan: “Farah had the choice of choreographing Tere mast mast do naina… and Munni badnaam hui… in Dabangg. She chose to do Munni… and made it the country’s siren call. Then, she turned Katrina into a sizzling Sheila in Tees Maar Khan. Now it’s my turn to dance to her tunes.”
There’s also Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kick. Even though it is a Telugu remake, it has some changes that should make it a bigger and better film. “Besides, it has Salman Khan,” she reasons.
He’s been recommending her and even presented her with a Being Human watch? “I bought the watch myself and the money went to his charity,” she clarifies. Sonakshi is looking forward to returning with Chulbul Pandey in the Dabangg sequel. That won’t be for a while though, since Salman is busy. Meanwhile, there’s Race 2 and Housefull 2, and reportedly, she’s the chosen one for both. But Sonakshi is wary of revealing too much too soon.
According to her, in some of these films, she’ll be seen in very different avatars. More glam, more westernised, but definitely no bikinis. “Since I was a child I’ve known what was off-limits. I’ve never run around in bikinis and shorts and I’m unlikely to do something that would make me uncomfortable. Why should I, when everyone wants a sister, daughter or wife like Rajjo?” she argues.
And will she walk the ramp again after her big Humpty Dumpty fall in the Lakme Fashion Week?
“It wasn’t a big or bad deal. But it was caught on tape and the media went to town with it,” she protests, pointing out that after that, she’s walked a more complicated ramp without stress.
“There was a time when designers wanted me because I was Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter,” she recalls. “I still am, but now they want me because I’m Sonakshi Sinha.”
