Nora Fatehi will be seen sharing the screen with Telugu film star Varun Tej in the film 'Matka'. Talking to Frontpage Insights, the actress said that she was injured during the shooting. However, he shot because he got an opportunity to act in Telugu films after seven years. The film is simultaneously releasing in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.
Read highlights of conversation with Nora Fatehi..
Tell us something about the character of the film? I am playing the character of Sophia. who is a cabaret dancer. When she enters Vasu's life, a lot changes. Varun Tej is playing the role of Vasu in this film. My look is very different in this film.
What was the most difficult thing during the shooting of the film? The most difficult thing for me in this film was speaking in Telugu. The director of the film has worked very hard on my character and language. The first day's shoot was with Varun. The dialogues were so long that I could not sleep the whole night. I spent the whole night worried about how I would be able to speak such long dialogues. I thought I was going crazy. Varun made me feel very relaxed when I reached the sets.
How much did Varun Tej help you learn Telugu? It certainly helped a bit. I have worked hard for this film. My character's entry in the film is through a song. He was injured during the shooting of that song, but the film had to be completed in five days. So I shot the song for the film regardless of the pain. After that I did not shoot any film for a month. Working as an actor in this film has been a different journey for me.
When the film was offered to you, what was your reaction to the film? I was very happy. I have been working in Telugu industry for seven years. Has performed on many songs. The song was performed for the first time in Jr. NTR's film 'Temper'. I have also performed on a song in Varun Tej's film. Then I told Varun that I am doing this song only because I want to act. See, today I got a chance to act in his film.
What was your preparation before entering the industry? I did not prepare anything. I thought I would become a star as soon as I reached Mumbai. I packed my clothes and came to Mumbai. After coming here I realized that there is a lot to learn. I did not know Hindi language. Hindi was a foreign language to me. First he learned Hindi and trained himself as an artist.
Which actresses are you inspired by? I never thought of working in Bollywood. Before entering the industry, I had seen films like 'Devdas' and 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'. I was thinking that only Indian girls can become actresses in Bollywood. When I saw Katrina Kaif and Jacqueline Fernandez working here, I thought maybe I could too. Then I started doing a lot of auditions.
What kind of experiences were there in the beginning? I did a lot of auditions. People make fun of the language a lot. First of all I worked hard on myself and the language. This industry has given me a lot. By now I understand that anyone can progress through hard work. The doors of the industry are open to everyone.
What things do you remember when you look back? I have reached here by playing small roles. I was also asking people to think about me. Before saying this, I often thought about how to say it. After dancing in 'Dilbar' everyone thought I could only dance, but I wanted to act. I felt that I was being typecast in the song. I started auditioning. Kunal Khemu gave me a chance in 'Madgaon Express'. People took advantage of your simplicity and did not even pay for the work? Apart from 'Dilbar', I have done many songs for free. Earning money was not my goal at that time. Did not enter film industry to earn money. To earn money one has to do many other things. I had to prove myself in the industry. So did not ask for money. People have many options in the industry. If not me, someone else will. The biggest thing for me was getting the opportunity. You have to compromise to prove yourself in the film industry. I see nothing wrong with this.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
