Nushrat Bharucha who will be next seen in Chaalang with Rajkummar Rao and Hudrang with Sunny Kaushal speaks to us on films, future plans and issues such as body shaming.
Are you glad that the issue of body shaming is being addressed in Hindi cinema?
Yes, I am glad it is being addressed through cinema. Like several actresses, I too have been body shamed. People would look at me and ask me if I was a child looking for a role and I had to convince them that I was older. As for my height, I am petite. I have danced in uncomfortable six-inch heels because the heroes were taller and if I was going to be in the same frame as them, I had to look right. I got used to being all day in heels and fit into the frame. It was painful initially but I got used to it. When you walk in heels it is different but you have to master dancing in heels. I always feel that I dance with more vigor and abandon without heels but hey! no complaints.
Which were the tall hero -short heroine films that gave you hope?
I loved all of them. Over the years, there are many actors and actors who have been paired like that. When I watched Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji in Bunty aur Babli and Yuva, it gave me a lot of hope. Shraddha Kapoor, who is petite has been very encouraging. She and Aditya Roy Kapoor in Aashiqui 2 have a difference in height but it hardly shows. She is super supportive and full of love and positivity. I am glad that a certain mold of the heroine has changed over the years and petite girls are being cast like any other actress. There is acceptance on both sides.
Every year of your adult life when asked about your marriage you bargained one more year? Are you getting married anytime soon?
Yes, I am living on borrowed time as far as marriage time is concerned. My entire family is hoping that I find someone and get married and settled. But I have no plans to get married and every year I ask them for one more year. I am happy with the way my career has shaped and I will marry when I meet the right person. I want to take my time in knowing the person but I haven’t found my man yet.
What do you look for in a partner?
I rate understanding above everything else. A mature understanding and respect for the kind of work I do and an unwavering trust in the fact that I would always have the larger picture in my head. As partners, we need to complete each other.
How did the ads, TV serials and films happen?
Ads, TV and films have all happened the traditional way for me through auditions. I waited in long queues, held the placard, showed my side profile to the camera, did my bit and if I got lucky, would get shortlisted. LSD happened through an audition. Pyaar ka Punchnama was an audition too.
With no background in the film industry, was your journey tough?
I think everybody goes through their own process of self-discovery. Acting as an art form is very pure and if, you are able to connect to the emotion of the scene and bring it out onscreen, you will deliver a great performance. If you captivate audiences, hone your skills with every film and get better at your craft, it will make you a better actor. I made good use of all my auditions, even if I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that role. They all helped me train better. I would carry the knowledge I gathered in my auditions to the roles I was handed out on TV or cinema. I learnt on the job.
Nushrat Barucha is also on the cover of our Eid Special Edition.