Sara Ali Khan explains why she enjoys being ‘an Indian desi girl’

Apart from ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’, Sara is also busy with ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’, ‘Murder Mubarak’ and Jagan Shakti’s as-yet untitled projectMumbai

Sara Ali Khan believes that the relatability of her characters comes from the fact that she strongly relates with the pulse of her country and enjoys being “an Indian desi girl.”

Her girl-next-door avatar has always been a fan favourite and once again she will be seen playing a young middle-class woman opposite Vicky Kaushal in the forthcoming Laxman Utekar directorial ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’.

When asked if she opts for such roles only to gain an edge over other actors, Sara Ali Khan said: “I don’t know if it’s about gaining an edge, but the truth is that I think I really relate very strongly with the pulse of my country.

“I have grown up thinking of myself as just another Indian desi girl from Juhu, who lives with her mama, and doesn’t really have any frills and fancies, and filmy friends, to be honest with you.”

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Continuing in the same vein, Sara said: “So, one has always grown up being very proud of one’s Indian-ness. I think that is a more personal thing; I think it is (Abhishek Kapoor) Gatto sir’s vision or (Aanand L. Rai) Anand Sir’s guidance, or Laxman Sir’s instructions that make me feel like a character you can relate to, I think that is what this really is all about, at least for me.”

Abhishek Kapoor helmed Sara in the much-acclaimed ‘Kedarnath’ and Aanand L. Rai in the Dhanush-Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Atrangi Re’.

A small-town love story about two warring partners, ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’ is backed by Dinesh Vijan under th Maddock Films banner. The film, slated for a June 2 release, also stars Rakesh Bedi, Sharib Hashmi and Neeraj Sood.

Apart from ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’, Sara is also busy with ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’, ‘Murder Mubarak’ and Jagan Shakti’s as-yet untitled project.

Sara Ali Khan was born in Bombay, Maharashtra, India to Saif Ali Khan, son of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore, and Amrita Singh, daughter of Sardar Shivinder Singh Virk and socialite Rukhsana Sultana; both actors of the Hindi film industry. She is also the great-granddaughter of Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Sajida Sultan, and the niece of Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan. She has a younger brother, Ibrahim. Her two half brothers Taimur (born 2016) and Jehangir (born 2021), are Saif’s sons from his second marriage to Kareena Kapoor. Sara Ali Khan is of Barech Pashtun Afghan, Bengali Hindu, and Assamese Muslim descent on her father’s side, and of Punjabi Sikh and Punjabi Muslim descent on her mother’s side. Sara was raised as a Muslim. When Khan was a four-year-old, she acted in an advertisement. According to Saif, actress Aishwarya Rai proved to be her inspiration for pursuing a career in film after she saw her perform on stage in Chicago. In 2004, when Khan was nine, her parents divorced, and Singh was granted legal guardianship of her children. Saif was initially not allowed to see her or her brother; they have since reconciled, and, according to Saif, “are more like friends (than father and daughter)”. Khan also shares a healthy relationship with Kapoor, her step-mother; she stated in 2018, “I would like to imbibe her professionalism in me”.

Agencies