I don’t want to compare myself to anybody: Anushka Sharma

She's done good work since her debut in Bollywood but Anushka Sharma reveals that she didn’t grow up wanting to become an actor. The actress is busy promoting her home production's next release, Phillauri. HT Café caught up with the actress to chat about movies, career, love life, etc. When asked about her experience as a a producer and an actor, Anushka said, "It’s important to know when to cut yourself off. But on the whole, I enjoy my life and perform better with more responsibilities. Of course, you feel more connected to your project since you know it from its beginning, so, your understanding is better. It’s a great, creative, collaborative process, which is exciting. When it comes to acting, I cut off, but something is constantly going on in your head. But I manage to create a balance and know when I have to switch off. Also I am not doing it alone; my brother (Karnesh Sharma) and my team are there."

Speaking of soon completing a decade in Bollywood, the actress told the paper, "I even remember the first shot very well. The beginning was excruciatingly painful, because I never planned to become an actor. The feeling was like of a deer caught in the headlights. When you want to do this for a long time and are preparing for it, you prepare your mind too, but I didn’t grow up wanting to become an actor. I was 19 when I signed my first film and was 20 when it released. As a young adult, I was growing up, but I also had to understand the industry. A lot was going on, and I wasn’t as calm and self-assured as I am today. It was difficult, but I was clearheaded and did things on my own terms even then. I didn’t blindly follow what everyone else was doing. It has been a beautiful journey and I have lots to be grateful for."

She had a great year in 2016 with the success of Sultan and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, doesn't she feel the pressure to have encore of success this year as well? Anushka said, "There’s a reason why this company is called Clean Slate… it’s my philosophy in life. I start everything fresh and anew every time. You can’t carry the baggage — good or bad — of your films. Having successful films is important as it increases my bankability and equity. It also enables me to make more films and reach wider audiences. I want to make my journey as easy as possible in terms of different things vis-à-vis films and roles, especially with my company now. So, I am happy about it. But I don’t get attached to success or failure too much."

Unlike her contemporaries, Anushka's career is shaping up differently. What does she have to say about this? "It’s about what attracts you and how you want your career to shape up. All the decisions I have taken are because I want this to be the narrative of my story, and this is the path I want to take. I have worked hard and built my equity as an actor. It is unconventional but I’m comfortable, confident and finding it easier to walk on this path. At the young age of 25, I decided to turn a producer. I don’t believe in any race because I am not a part of any. Ultimately, everyone has the right to do what they want to do," she said.

Not just career graph, even in terms of marketing and PR of her films, she functions differently. To this Anushka replied, "Perhaps I don’t have that vision. I have no idea what others are doing. Your work is important and it speaks for itself. I don’t understand marketing too much. And, if I don’t understand anything, I won’t let anyone else do it for me. It has to be within the framework of my beliefs and principles. My peace of mind and principles are important. I am transparent in the way I function and behave. I do what comes naturally to me. Bollywood is a very competitive place. In that sense, do you see yourself in any race? You have to look at my path. I am an actor, who is also a producer now. I have taken a completely different path. If my playing field in itself is different, how can I compete? It wouldn’t be fair for me to compete with anyone else and vice versa. I am doing my own thing and in a certain way. I am doing it, because this is what I understand and makes sense to me. I know I am a bankable enough actor to get the green light for a film. And, for me, that, in itself, is a successful position to be in."

Doesn't she keep a tab on the kind of work the actresses are doing? "Not at all. It just doesn’t occur to me in my scheme of things. It would be like I am watching some other channel. I don’t have the same viewpoint. I don’t want to compare myself to anybody. You are seen in a completely different world in your new film, Phillauri; you play a ghost. As an actor, you are constantly looking for different things to do. When people think of me and my career, they should have a different image of me in their heads. And this will only happen because of the characters I play. So, this is very different from what I have done before or anyone has done. Creating a character through special effects –– that has been created by a real-life actor –– has probably happened for the first time. Plus, there’s a supernatural element to it. And, as I said, it adds versatility to my roles," Anushka said. 

How is it working with her brother Karnesh, having him as a party of her production house? Does it help her? "Of course, it helps a lot. I wouldn’t have done it (produce) if my brother wasn’t getting involved in it. Without him, it would have been impossible to do the film, because I am an actor, and I am busy with my other films. Both of us have the same vision for our company, the kind of films that we want to make, and how we want to function. We trust each other the most. So, I know someone has got my back," she said.

What’s on the cards next for Clean Slate? To which she replied, "My production house isn’t meant to make films only for me. By God’s grace, I get offered a lot of films, so I don’t need to do that. Karnesh and I want to make films that we believe in. If there’s a script, and we need someone of a certain stature for it, we will go ahead with it. There might also be a time when I won’t do a film (for my production house) because I won’t fit in the role. So, one should look at it the way you look at any other production house."