Director Ayan Mukherjee on Koffee With Karan, replying to a question on who of the current lot of actresses scores highest on IQ levels, promptly replied “Katrina”. He should know. He is Ranbir Kapoor‘s closest personal and professional friend in Bollywood, and though he hasn’t featured Katrina in any of his films, he meets her almost on a daily basis.
Katrina Kaif is certainly quick-witted – something I instinctively understood in my first few meetings with her. I remember when Namaste London was shooting, we asked her to do a London tour for us – after all it was her city! She did it so well that I was called by the boss to ask who was this new bright anchor (she probably wouldn’t be flattered by that, though!).
She may have not gone to a fancy university, but she learnt well enough in the school of life– and cinema! Let me elaborate.
After what may not have been a dream debut in Hindi films (remember Boom?), she was quick to develop a thick skin, an armour against all the negativity that surrounds flop films in the industry. She soldiered on. She found herself a “mentor”, though a mercurial one, and she remains loyal to him till date. Gives him the credit of being her guide and friend in her journey through films and life in Mumbai. She signed films for their box office potential, just like Salman Khan, not for cinema but for paisa vasool. She became the top female star doing inane, inconsequential parts in successful films. Unaffected by judgemental remarks from co-stars like Sonam Kapoor.
But unlike her mentor, Katrina never took success for granted. Even at the top of her game, she is praised as a professional, always reporting to sets on time, ready with make-up and hair (you have no idea how rare this is), waiting for male co-stars to turn up, turning her into a producers’ dream star. No diva attitude at work… she was mindful they’d never take it from an “outsider” and a female actor. Some skirmishes with the press, sure, but she also knows how to handle reporters.
I remember her coming to studio to record a primetime show; the anchor was not happy with the interview. Katrina, who had some other engagements in the evening, promised to come back to record a better interview. We’d heard such promises before but sure enough, there she was back in the studio at midnight after an exhausting long day– just to get it right. The hard-core political anchor, who had to be persuaded to do the interview in the first place, was impressed enough to tweet that when it came to Kat “still waters run deep”!
Katrina was also quick to understand that she wasn’t an actor, and that craft is not actually a requirement for being a star in Bollywood. She was happy being that– never seeking acceptance from critics, negotiating awards while on top. Instead, she signed multiple endorsements and made her money while the sun was still shining.
My feeling is that she has also gauged when her time at the top is up and a change of plan is required. There was a time she nurtured ambitions of turning producer and casting herself and her sister in home productions. Better sense appears to have prevailed, and she is slowly making time for some kind of personal life away from the spotlight.
A little tough when your partner (still rumoured!) is India’s next best thing! I get the feeling, though, that she is happy to accept the supporting role there. Ranbir is an over sensitive person and actor; his friends say she can help him develop that necessary immunity from flop films and critics. Her perseverance, professionalism and work discipline will only help the RK brand, and, remember, she stars in his first production as well. They both like their privacy, shunning social media. So if he is really putting a ring on it as a birthday gift, as tabloids will have us believe, it should be a good fit!
Credits:- Ndtv.com
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