‘Had To Have A Beach Body Without Losing The Glow On The Face’

‘The biggest thing I’ve learnt is that this journey is not linear.’
‘There will be films that work, films that don’t, moments where you feel confident and moments where you question yourself.’

Kriti Sanon is enjoying the success of her latest film Cocktail 2, where she plays Ally, a girl who is ‘beautifully chaotic’.

Directed by Homi Adajania, the film co-stars Rashmika Mandanna and Shahid Kapoor.

Kriti tells Subhash K Jha, “What I loved about her was that she is unapologetically herself and she lived every moment to the fullest. She didn’t believe in having regrets in life. She doesn’t fit into a box.”

‘I used to be too skinny before Mimi‘

Cocktail 2 has fetched you a lot of approval, most reviews have designated you the star of the film.

It always feels special when the audience connects with something you have done because ultimately, that’s why we do what we do. I never really go on set thinking about how a character will be received by the audience.

I just try to understand the character, be honest with her emotions and bring something new.

Ally was a very different space for me; she is fun, unpredictable, free-spirited, unhinged and unapologetic but still sensitive. She has a lot of layers. The way she has lived life, her philosophy and moral compass were away from me and that’s what I enjoyed.

The love coming her way feels amazing and overwhelming. I’m so happy people have loved the film and the character.

You have a refreshingly normalised attitude to your physique. Have you always been this way? How do you stay so slim?

I’ve been blessed with a good metabolism and now that I look back, I used to be too skinny before Mimi.

I realised the importance of fitness a lot more after that film as when I put on weight for the role, I felt really unfit in my basic strength and joints.

I started working out with The Tribe and loved their energy and non-monotonous ways of working out so much that I invested in them and became a co-founder.

I believe in balance. I eat everything in moderation and try and work out three-four times a week. Even for my character Ally in Cocktail 2, the goal was never to go size zero. It was to be lean and fit, and have a beach body, without losing the glow on the face.

‘I’ve understood myself better as an actor’

Did you see Ally as a go-getter or a lonely woman pretending to be preoccupied by partying perpetually?

Ally is someone who lives life on her own terms. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have vulnerabilities. She is beautifully chaotic.

Sometimes, those who are always surrounded by people or always having fun can also have their own emotional spaces that they don’t show everyone.

She loves with all her heart but doesn’t get too attached to people or places. She is a bit nomadic.

What I loved about her was that she is unapologetically herself and she lived every moment to the fullest. She didn’t believe in having regrets in life. She doesn’t fit into a box.

It’s been 12 years since your debut. What have you learnt about yourself and the film industry?

The biggest thing I’ve learnt is that this journey is not linear. There will be films that work, films that don’t, moments where you feel confident and moments where you question yourself.

But every experience teaches you something.

I’ve learnt to trust my instincts more, not get affected by every opinion and to focus on the work.

I think I’ve also understood myself better as an actor, what excites me, what challenges me and the kind of stories I want to be a part of.

‘I know where to draw the line’

How do you deal with invasive elements in your life? Do you crave for privacy?

Everyone deserves personal space. I’m someone who loves my work and shares my journey with people. But there is a part of my life that I want to protect, especially because your family and relationships are not just yours, they involve other people too.

I’ve learnt to create that balance, and know where to draw the line.

Are you happy with the roles coming your way?

Yes. I’m happy and grateful for the kind of opportunities coming my way. I like that many of them are so different from each other.

I’ve never been wanted to be put in a box and have craved to explore different genres and different kinds of roles.

‘I felt drained when I wrapped Tere Ishk Mein‘

Your last film Tere Ishk Mein was darker than Cocktail 2. Do you enjoy heavy emotional parts more than frothier roles?

I enjoy both because they challenge me differently.

Tere Ishk Mein was emotionally very intense and required a lot from me as an actor, emotionally, mentally and at times, even physically. I felt drained when I wrapped that film and didn’t have it in me to do another intense film immediately.

After that, doing Cocktail 2 felt refreshing because it allowed me to explore a lighter, happier and quirkier energy.

I don’t think one is better than the other. I like that I can move between different worlds.

Tell us about your forthcoming projects.

I haven’t signed anything yet. I’ve been hearing and reading a lot of stuff.

There are a couple of projects that I’m in talks for and some scripts that I’m getting developed from a production perspective.

I want to feel really excited for a film, and be on a set just for the heck of doing another film. I want to focus on quality over quantity.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff