Sara Ali Khan deconstructs her character Rinku from Atrangi Re: 'I could relate to her idealised version of love'

The year has ended for you with quite a bang _Atrangi Re_ . Are you in a state of advanced rhapsody at the response? I’m overwhelmed, to say the least. My character Rinku and the film Atrangi Re will forever be a part of me. The film has given me a lifetime of memories. The feedback I’ve been receiving is humbling and very motivating, especially at this early phase of my career. My friends, family, fans, the industry have had some very nice things to say and I’m truly thankful for that. But the fact that I’ve been able to make my parents cry, and make my brother proud, and even my grandmother… that for me is a huge achievement. The girl in Atrangi that you play is in love with a boogeyman. What is your valued opinion on idealised love? As a girl who’s a diehard romantic at heart, and an idealistic person by nature I have definitely grown up imagining a ‘perfect’ or ‘ideal’ love. In fact in Atrangi Re, the fact that Rinku has a perfect idealised version of her love is so relatable to me.

Whether it’s our personal life, or choice of films and professional life, somewhere we all have an idealised version of what we would want or desire in life. Rinku is the same, so am I.

How do you look back on 2021? Are you happy with the progress that you made during the year? What were the highlights of the year for you? One of them (the highlights) was of course another brother. Do you get time to spend with Taimur and Jehangir? 2021 has been quite a bittersweet year. We are in the midst of a pandemic, but Atrangi Re was the small bubble I escaped into that gave me solace and motivation. It gave me great memories to replace the bad ones. It was also a wonderful moment for the family when Jehangir was born and I do try to spend time with him and Taimur whenever I get the chance.

Incidentally, Rinku the character you play in Atrangi Re, is the nickname of your gorgeous grandmother Sharmila Tagore. How much of her work have you seen? I’ve seen a lot of my grandmother’s work and not just because she happens to be my grandmother but also because she is an icon of Indian cinema. In fact one of the biggest compliments I’ve received was her appreciating my performance in Atrangi Re. She even got messages from her friends and family members appreciating my performance in Atrangi, which was very encouraging. The fact that I have been able to make her proud is a huge achievement for me. She will always be the epitome of grace and beauty for me. Covid has played with all our lives, how far has it affected your life? Do you enjoy the time at home it has necessarily imposed on us? I think no one has escaped from the Covid aftermath and it’s been tough on everyone. I choose to stay positive and that’s the way I dealt with the ‘new normal’. Of course spending that extra time with my family, catching up on some books and staying disciplined with my workout regime was an added bonus. What are your forthcoming movie assignments? What can one expect from you in 2022? Next up, I’m working on a film with Vicky Kaushal, which is directed by Lakshman Utekar. You are extremely active on social media. How do you cope with trolling and negativity? It doesn’t really get to me as much and I take it with a pinch of salt. It’s part and parcel of being in this profession and when you receive roses you can’t escape the brickbats either. Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.