Her phenomenal rise to super-stardom almost looks like a slice of celluloid dream. With an enviable determination, Katrina Kaif has pushed boundaries of excellence for herself and that has translated into mega hits, brand endorsements and a loyal fan following. Even though she started her tryst with cinema on a shaky ground following the debacle of her debut film Boom, she chased success with grit and hard work. Contrary to popular perception that she lived in the UK in her growing up years, Katrina along with her mother and siblings actually traveled from one country to another in her growing up years. So, how has life changed for her? She says, “Now I do have a sense of security. There is an inner sense of calmness. I am comfortable in my world. I am self-sufficient. I am in Mumbai since I was 18 and that’s the longest I have stayed in a city. Now I have a home here and I have work. So, in that sense I feel rooted.”
Today, she is considered as one of the top actors of B-Town. How would she dissect her success mantra? “For all that I have achieved, I would give 33 % each to hard work, passion and destiny.” She pushes her hair and adds with a laugh, “In that sense, I have credited all these three elements. I always feel one could be very hard-working but if destiny/luck doesn’t give him/her that edge then it’s difficult to get success.”
What keeps her going day after day putting on the make-up, remembering the lines and facing the camera? “I am really passionate about creating something beautiful. I love doing a film and creating something wonderful for all times to come. I find films a very powerful medium. You can leave everything behind and walk into a theatre and experience a beautiful world,” she says.
For a long time, her lack of knowledge of Hindi was her liability. But she is not the one who would leave any stones unturned to claim her share of success. Ask her about her comfort level now in speaking in Hindi, she says, “I speak to my staff in Hindi. Yes, initial years I had a tough time. But then I was determined to learn the language. Even now, if I am going out in the evening and I have long dialogue for the next day shoot, I come back home and practice my lines.”
In her career spanning a decade, the industry has undergone much transformation. How has the changes affected her as an actor? “The audiences have grown bigger. Today it’s a varied canvas. We have the freedom to do different kind of films. There is much more scope to try out things. I am yet to watch Kahaani but the film has got such rave reviews and that kind of appreciation shows that there’s scope for films with an ‘individual’ touch,” says Katrina who still feels overwhelmed by the response of her recent releases. In addition to her enviable professional success, her personal life has also been under a scanner? How does she take it all? “I don’t get bothered about all the talk about personal life. In the beginning, it used to bother me. But not now. I concentrate on my work and let the negativity keep away from me,” she says with a touch of firmness in her voice.
And in between shooting, endorsements and shows when she finds time, she finds “traveling, experiencing cultures and meeting people without trappings very beautiful and enjoyable.”
