1. Preity, with your next film Heroes coming up. Are you nervous or excited?
Frankly speaking, I am very excited. I was nervous when I was shooting for the film. It was a very difficult role for me, because it was not in my comfort zone as an actor. This role was something that I have not attempted before.
For instance, when someone offers me a role of an NRI, I can play that role with ease because it’s in my comfort zone. But my role in Heroes has got a very rural flavor to it.
It’s a role of a simple girl from a village, who speaks Punjabi and is a woman of the soil. She works on a tractor and makes rotis in a village house. In that sense, it’s a very different kind of role.
2. What is the name of your character in the film and can you oblige us by giving a sneak peak into the lives of ‘Heroes’?
The name of my character is Kuljeet Kaur, who is an Indian by every inch. And as far as the ‘sneak peak’ into the film is concerned, all I can say is that the film is about the two boys played by Vatsal Seth and Sohail Khan.
They belong to the proverbial ‘Generation Next’ and also someone who have everything that anyone can ever want. They have the money to splurge, they have all the vices, and they have the time, and yes the luxury to waste time too, which is pretty much the current breed of the upper level generation.
Heroes is about their journey of meeting people from various backgrounds of life. It is their interaction with people from various backgrounds of life. Moreover, how they get inspired from them. It is then, that these normal people become ‘heroes’.
The bottom line of the story is that one need not do anything extraordinary to become a hero. You can simply do the ordinary things and become a hero. But what matters the most is the ‘way’ you do them.
As Mariah Carey says in her famous song… ‘That a Hero lies in you’. This film is also something that acts as a bridge that connects the modern India with the real India.
3. How much of your character in Heroes do you identify with?
Absolutely…despite the fact that I am extremely urban! But as Shahrukh says, ‘Phir bhi dil hai Hinduatani’! I come from an army family (with my father and brother both serving the nation), I am extremely patriotic towards my country.
I would request each and every family to at least send one of their children to the army. That way, it would not be states and communities anymore…it will be about INDIA! People in the army give their lives for people they don’t even know. The only time when we remember them is when there is a war happening.
At the end of the day, we land up with a ‘Oh! How sad’ kind of feeling, which is something that I feel will never cease to be the flavor of the season. Heroes is a look into lot of such things, without any kind of theory and lecture-baazi!
It’s more of a practical presentation which, in other words, can also be termed as the mirror of the society! It’s not just me, but the whole nation will instantly identify with Kuljeet Kaur! As an actor, Heroes is a very new space for me and I am simply proud to be a part of it!
Rumors also have it that you have not used make up in the entire film. How much of it is true?
Yes, I have not used make-up, but only in some portions of the film, whereas in others, I have. But the one film in which I have just not done any make up is my next film Heaven On Earth! To me, Heaven On Earth and Heroes are the two faces of the same coin.
4. How was it working with Salman Khan?
Till date, never ever in my career, have I ever looked at my hero while working with him, stopped at the sets and said, "Oh! You look so good!" But, I did that with Salman Khan when he came dressed up as a Sardar. I just looked at him and said, "Oh My God! Salman…you look so good!"
Salman, on his part, simply looked at me so endearingly and asked, "Preity…what are you talking about!" With his beard and turban, he looked like a real Jat Sikh! Trust me; he looks so very awesomely good in the film.
As a matter of fact, I happened to go to London where a group of people came up to me and said, "Assi tho zaroor dekhaangey jee Heroes, Salman Khan tho badda sona lagada hain jee." (Dear, we will surely watch Heroes without fail. Salman looks so good in it!).
And I was like, ‘Hey! What about me?’ (Laughs) To which, they replied, "Aap bhi achhe lag rahe ho, par Salman kya lag raha hai…gabru’. (You too are looking good, but Salman looks so macho!).
Heroes was previously titled as ‘Mera Bhaarat Mahaan’. Without sounding diplomatic or politically correct, can you please tell us as to which name do you prefer more and why?
I think both the titles work for me because the idea being both the titles suits the film so very accurately.
That reminds me of an incident, which happened to me a few days back when I saw a signboard which said ‘Mera Bhaarat Mahaan’.
But when I came closer to the board, there were these small letters below it which said ‘Banana padega’. (Laughs) If I were to think of Heroes from a different context, I think that Mera Bharat Mahaan sounds like a name with a little bit of cynicism in it, while Heroes sounds more positive. That way, I would stick with Heroes!
5. Vatsal Seth…the literal blue-eyed boy of Bollywood, who started off his Bollywood career with a dud like Tarzan -The Wonder Car is again knocking the doors of tinsel town with Heroes. Do you foresee a bright future for him post Heroes?
I am sure that he indeed has a bright future ahead of him. And when he actually starts looking like a man (post his chocolate hero image), he would have gained so much experience in this industry, that its going to be only raining awards for him!
6. India winning at the Oscars is every Indian’s dream. So, do you feel that Taare Zameen Par will make every Indian’s dream come true?
I really hope it wins! It’s a great movie. After watching the film, I told Aamir that, ‘TZP made me cry. And it wasn’t even a love story.’ I am already sitting with my fingers and toes crossed with a little prayer of my lips!
7. Can you cite three reasons for the common man to watch Heroes?
Firstly, it’s a fantastic film. Secondly, I am in it. And lastly, it’s going to be worth every minute of it.
It's a role of a simple girl from a village, who speaks Punjabi and is a woman of the soil. She works on a tractor and makes rotis in a village house. In that sense, it's a very different kind of role.
