Nargis Fakhri was born and brought up in the US to a Czech mother and Pakistani father, but was not influenced by either of her parents who were both immigrants and had lost their identity trying to become Americans. When she was just seven years old, her parents separated for reasons not known to her. While her father died a decade ago, her mother is a cancer survivor and is due for retirement from the US police force. For Nargis, being a part of Rockstar was a part of her search for her identity through India, a region that was closest to her father. Excerpts from her conversation with TOI:
Your parents separated when you were young. Do you have memories of your father? Even though my parents separated, my mother was in love with my father and never re-married. But surprisingly, there are no family pictures in our house. When I returned home after Rockstar, I was curious to know about my father as I had visited India, which was a country closest to where my dad belonged. I asked my mother about him. For the first time, she took me to a closet and took out an old suitcase that had my childhood pictures. She was annoyed seeing those pictures as she still loved him, even though he had probably re-married and was not in touch with us. In one of the pictures, I looked like a boy as my head was shaven and she told me that was as per tradition. Seeing my pictures where I was wearing a kurta and bangles, my childhood memories of eating laddoos and rasmalai came back to me. I wanted to show my mom my co-actor Ranbir and his parents. So I put on this song from Kabhi Kabhi with Neetu and Rishi Kapoor and my mom started crying. I was angry seeing her crying and asked her why she was behaving that way and that is when she told me that my dad had won her heart through Hindi movies and that song, coincidentally, was one of her favourites. For her, it was like her life had come a full circle with me being a part of the Indian film industry.
How did you get to be a part of Rockstar? My sister and I had a tough childhood, but my mom always said that ‘travelling is the most beautiful thing you can do in your life’. She always showed us the globe and gifted me an Atlas. So from the time I was 14, I put up a map of the world on my wall and started watching travel channels and observed other cultures carefully. I was tall and skinny and at 15, I was approached to model. I figured that models got to travel and it became my ticket to travel so much so that if an agency could not fly me to another country, I would fly on my cost so that I could see that country and also make some money. Most of the times even though I bought my own tickets, I was reimbursed after I reached as the organisers liked my work. Had it not been modelling, I would have joined an NGO in Africa or Brazil to helo build villages. I was living with my boyfriend in Copenhagen when I got an email saying that Imtiaz Ali wanted to meet me in Prague for a role in an Indian film. I agreed to meet him and cried listening to his narration. His team had videotaped me to capture my expressions while listening to the narration. He liked me and asked me to give it a chance and come down to India. I did not commit anything to him and went back to talk to myself and the universe. I realised that something kept calling me to India and I always kept pushing it away as I had this feeling that India would keep me and that it would be my last destination. But then I thought, it was a great opportunity and would be the best way to be closest to my dad’s country.
How was Ranbir as a costar to work with? I am blessed to have worked with him. He is simple, easy-going and caring. We are both funny, have no baggage and no ego. The most important thing is he treated me with respect even though at that time I was a nobody while he was a somebody.
Did you have an affair with Ranbir? No. We just had a wonderful friendship. Ranbir and Imtiaz were the only two friends I had in India and they were loving and caring towards me and nurtured me. For the sake of the film, they kept me away from everyone. Being a top model in the US, I have always lived and worked with the hottest men in the world but I have never ever slept with any of them and yet they are my closest friends. One of my Australian friends Emile came to the set and I introduced him to Ranbir who saw him and said ‘He is freaking handsome’ and could not believe that we were just friends and were not having an affair. I am not averse to having an affair, but hot men mean nothing to me. I also read about Imtiaz and I having an affair and I cried. I would never ever work with a director who would want that from me in exchange for giving me work. I would only have an affair with a person whom I love.
Were you close to Ranbir’s mother? Neetu Kapoor is the most beautiful soul. While shooting Rockstar, I became quite sick and Ranbir told her about it. I was a single girl with just nobody to look after me, but she was just there for me and ensured I was okay. I was actually more friends with her than with Ranbir and she doesn’t know this, but I will always remember her throughout my life for what she did for me at that time.
You are a stunner of a looker and had a great debut with Rockstar. Yet you have vanished post your first film? I got a lot of offers after Rockstar, but was totally dependent on the team managing my work who did not want me to sign any of the films I was offered even though I wanted to. as a part of their strategy, they cut me off from everyone around. It was extremely hard for me as I was totally unsupported in India, with no family or friends, did not know the language, was not a trained actress, did not have a godfather, needed to look after my mother and was financially struggling needing to pay my bills. I am now in the process of signing two interesting films.
How do you see your life in the future? I have always felt that my journey in life is to understand human beings. I have been a hard worker since I was 12 and have seen my mother bringing up her two girls in a culture which was quite prejudiced against immigrants. I take care of my mother financially and hope to remain in India till such time God wants me to be.
Hot men mean nothing to me: Nargis Fakhri
