OVER STORY
For the last four years, being in front of the camera has been my life. You were aware of the rules, and how fate changes every Friday. Did that prep make it a tad bit easier to embrace the highs, lows and the blows? Nope! No one is prepared to face the highs and lows, no matter how much you know about the industry. Even Steven Spielberg's daughter won't be prepared for the journey ahead of her. It is always your own journey, irrespective of the family you come from. I don't think your mum, dad, father or chachu can change that or mend that 104
for you. So, I want to punch all those people who say that star kids have it easy because it makes no sense. The way the world is today, either you have it or you don't. The only advantage that I have today is that if I want to talk to someone about issues, I can reach out to my father who has that experience. But even in this case, the first person I call is not my father. I call Karan Johar. When you are a part of the film world, there is a certain sense of belonging, you feel that hum sab ek hi khandaan ke hain. But even those who come from nonfilm backgrounds become part of this family.
' Shaandaar' was your first failure. Did it make you more realistic and cautious? A good film will always do well and a bad film will not. That's fate and I can't change it. I am realistic, and I will never disown my film. I don't regret doing 'Shaandaar' but I also know that it didn't turn out the way we thought it would. I'm not stupid to believe that it was a great film, but I feel that the experience has given me a lot. I will never defend it but I won't renounce it either. I'll
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defend my film when I feel that it's a damn good film and you are still running it down. So many people come up to me and say that they didn't like 'Udta Punjab' or 'Highway', but there are far too many people who have loved it. So, to each his own. People see flashes of your sister Pooja Bhatt in you. She stood out for her choice of roles and performances. She's strong, opinionated and speaks her mind. A lot of people tell me that. I think it's the upbringing. Pooja and I might have different ideologies but we are cut from the same cloth, and it reflects in the way we