Indian-American actress Richa Moorjani, who is popular for playing Kamala Vishwakumari in the Netflix show 'Never Have I Ever', joined WION for an exclusive conversation from Los Angeles. Like many other Indian Americans, Richa too had an unique experience of a brown girl, who grew up in the US.

Here are the excerpts of the interview: &nbsp;

How did you get the role of Kamala in 'Never Have I Ever'? What were you doing before this role came to you?

I have been in Los Angeles for about 10 years. I moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full time. It took about seven or eight years to land a role like Kamala. Before that I was auditioning and doing small roles in other projects, but this was obviously the biggest role I got to do. It's been a long process with a lot of learning. &nbsp;

Mindy Kaling had put out an ad for the role of Kamala, Devi and Nalini. It was a global casting search. I basically submitted a self-taped audition, just like Maitreyi did for Devi and that's how I was called in for a callback and got the role. It was a dream role for me. There's been a lot of ups and downs but I am glad that I had the journey before getting a chance of 'Never Have I Ever'.

So we learned from social media that you are a trained Kathak dancer. &nbsp;Tell us more about your journey as a dancer

Yes, my teacher is here in the U.S., her name is Srimati Anuradha Nag. She is a disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaja. I started learning Kathak at the age of five. I have also been trained in India, with Maharaj ji's company, and it's been about twenty-five plus years now. &nbsp;

 
What was it like to grow up as a brown girl in the US? &nbsp;

I actually grew up in a very... in a community with a lot of other South Asian people so I wasn’t the only brown person in my school, I actually had a lot of desi and Indian friends growing up. My family had a large circle of South Asian family friends, and a big extended family here so I'm very blessed in the sense that I never felt disconnected from my culture while growing up. I grew up doing Indian classical dance, and my parents also are musicians, they also do Indian music so the culture was very much a part of my life while growing up here. But of course, at the same time, growing up here versus growing up in India is very different as a brown person and I definitely felt the pull between the two cultures often while growing up, and even now its something that I have to navigate. But I feel really blessed to come from such a rich and beautiful culture. The fact that the arts are such a huge part of our culture I think it is part of the reason that I decided to become an artist. &nbsp;

Did you come to India often? &nbsp; 
 
I went to India almost every year while growing up. My grandparents lived in Varanasi, that's the dad's side of my family and my mom's side of the family lives in Bangalore. So I'm half South Indian, half North Indian. I spent a lot of time in India. Either in the summers or winters, we would come to India and spend a lot of time there. &nbsp;

Coming back to 'Never Have I Ever,' right now as we speak, you have a completely different accent from the one you had back in the show. &nbsp;

Well, I'm happy that you thought that it was my real accent that means I sounded authentic and that's what my goal was. I know there have been many depictions of 'the Indian accent' in Hollywood, and we all know as Indian people that there is no ONE single Indian accent. Everyone in India, outside of India, who comes from there has a different sounding accent, we have so many different dialects depending on where you are from.&nbsp; 
First of all I worked with a dialect coach, and I watched, lots and lots of hours on YouTube of people with the accent that I was trying to go for, and practice with my family and practice with people. I spoke in that accent at home. I did everything possible to make sure I was being authentic. &nbsp;

 
You mentioned on being both North Indian and South Indian. Can you elaborate on that? &nbsp;

Yea, you know I feel really lucky to come from different parts of India because I got a chance to celebrate my Kannada roots and my Banaras roots also and there's a lot of overlap and a lot of similarities. My parents are both Hindus, so a lot of rituals and religious customs might be similar but there are also a lot of differences. The language, the food, or the way we dress in different parts of India that I'm from I get to celebrate that and that's so exciting for me. &nbsp;

What were the celebrations like back at home, and which one was&nbsp;your favourite? &nbsp;

Holi is my favourite celebration and it is celebrated all over India. Everyone has their own unique way of celebrating not just Holi but all of the holidays and I think it's really wonderful that my South Indian family celebrates Diwali differently from my North Indian family. Or they make different foods. But for me, the most fun I have is on Holi. &nbsp;

How did your parents meet? Were they first-generation from their families in the US?

Yeah, so my dad moved here in California when he was in his 20s to complete his PhD and my mother actually moved from Mysore to the US when she was seven so she stayed here for most of her life. So when my dad moved here he started a Bollywood music band with his friends at his college and he was looking for a female lead singer my mom was a singer so she auditioned for his band and became the lead singer and that's how they met and fell in love and got married. They still have the band. &nbsp;

How did you meet your husband? What drew you towards him?

We met about five to six years ago on an app called Dil Mil, it was an app started obviously by an Indian person and it was for South Asian people looking for other South Asian people, so that's how my husband and I met. You know I loved that he just seemed very humble, he seemed like a very down-to-earth person not flashy and he didn’t click selfies of himself in front of the mirror or wasn’t wearing any flashy suits like he seemed like a very simple person which looked very attractive to me. This was before 'Never Have I Ever'. &nbsp;

 
You have also been an active advocate for mental health. When did you realise its importance? &nbsp;

I don’t think I ever suddenly realised it, it has always been important to me. I have known people in my personal life that suffer from mental illness and my mother is a therapist. So mental health has always been a subject, a topic that our family has discussed very openly. I think that is wonderful because we all know in our culture and all over the world, mental health is still a very stigmatised topic and we don’t really talk about it. That's why it has always been very important for me in my work. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Indian-American actress Richa Moorjani, who is popular for playing Kamala Vishwakumari in the Netflix show 'Never Have I Ever', joined WION for an exclusive conversation from Los Angeles.

Indian-American actress Richa Moorjani, who is popular for playing Kamala Vishwakumari in the Netflix show 'Never Have I Ever', joined WION for an exclusive conversation from Los Angeles. Like many other Indian Americans, Richa too had an unique experience of a brown girl, who grew up in the US. Here are the excerpts of the interview: How did you get the role of Kamala in 'Never Have I Ever'? What were you doing before this role came to you? I have been in Los Angeles for about 10 years. I moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full time. It took about seven or eight years to land a role like Kamala. Before that I was auditioning and doing small roles in other projects, but this was obviously the biggest role I got to do. It's been a long process with a lot of learning. Mindy Kaling had put out an ad for the role of Kamala, Devi and Nalini. It was a global casting search. I basically submitted a self-taped audition, just like Maitreyi did for Devi and that's how I was called in for a callback and got the role. It was a dream role for me. There's been a lot of ups and downs but I am glad that I had the journey before getting a chance of 'Never Have I Ever'. So we learned from social media that you are a trained Kathak dancer. Tell us more about your journey as a dancer Yes, my teacher is here in the U.S., her name is Srimati Anuradha Nag. She is a disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaja. I started learning Kathak at the age of five. I have also been trained in India, with Maharaj ji's company, and it's been about twenty-five plus years now. What was it like to grow up as a brown girl in the US? I actually grew up in a very... in a community with a lot of other South Asian people so I wasn’t the only brown person in my school, I actually had a lot of desi and Indian friends growing up. My family had a large circle of South Asian family friends, and a big extended family here so I'm very blessed in the sense that I never felt disconnected from my culture while growing up. I grew up doing Indian classical dance, and my parents also are musicians, they also do Indian music so the culture was very much a part of my life while growing up here. But of course, at the same time, growing up here versus growing up in India is very different as a brown person and I definitely felt the pull between the two cultures often while growing up, and even now its something that I have to navigate. But I feel really blessed to come from such a rich and beautiful culture. The fact that the arts are such a huge part of our culture I think it is part of the reason that I decided to become an artist. Did you come to India often? I went to India almost every year while growing up. My grandparents lived in Varanasi, that's the dad's side of my family and my mom's side of the family lives in Bangalore. So I'm half South Indian, half North Indian. I spent a lot of time in India. Either in the summers or winters, we would come to India and spend a lot of time there. Coming back to 'Never Have I Ever,' right now as we speak, you have a completely different accent from the one you had back in the show. Well, I'm happy that you thought that it was my real accent that means I sounded authentic and that's what my goal was. I know there have been many depictions of 'the Indian accent' in Hollywood, and we all know as Indian people that there is no ONE single Indian accent. Everyone in India, outside of India, who comes from there has a different sounding accent, we have so many different dialects depending on where you are from. First of all I worked with a dialect coach, and I watched, lots and lots of hours on YouTube of people with the accent that I was trying to go for, and practice with my family and practice with people. I spoke in that accent at home. I did everything possible to make sure I was being authentic. You mentioned on being both North Indian and South Indian. Can you elaborate on that? Yea, you know I feel really lucky to come from different parts of India because I got a chance to celebrate my Kannada roots and my Banaras roots also and there's a lot of overlap and a lot of similarities. My parents are both Hindus, so a lot of rituals and religious customs might be similar but there are also a lot of differences. The language, the food, or the way we dress in different parts of India that I'm from I get to celebrate that and that's so exciting for me. What were the celebrations like back at home, and which one was your favourite? Holi is my favourite celebration and it is celebrated all over India. Everyone has their own unique way of celebrating not just Holi but all of the holidays and I think it's really wonderful that my South Indian family celebrates Diwali differently from my North Indian family. Or they make different foods. But for me, the most fun I have is on Holi. How did your parents meet? Were they first-generation from their families in the US? Yeah, so my dad moved here in California when he was in his 20s to complete his PhD and my mother actually moved from Mysore to the US when she was seven so she stayed here for most of her life. So when my dad moved here he started a Bollywood music band with his friends at his college and he was looking for a female lead singer my mom was a singer so she auditioned for his band and became the lead singer and that's how they met and fell in love and got married. They still have the band. How did you meet your husband? What drew you towards him? We met about five to six years ago on an app called Dil Mil, it was an app started obviously by an Indian person and it was for South Asian people looking for other South Asian people, so that's how my husband and I met. You know I loved that he just seemed very humble, he seemed like a very down-to-earth person not flashy and he didn’t click selfies of himself in front of the mirror or wasn’t wearing any flashy suits like he seemed like a very simple person which looked very attractive to me. This was before 'Never Have I Ever'. You have also been an active advocate for mental health. When did you realise its importance? I don’t think I ever suddenly realised it, it has always been important to me. I have known people in my personal life that suffer from mental illness and my mother is a therapist. So mental health has always been a subject, a topic that our family has discussed very openly. I think that is wonderful because we all know in our culture and all over the world, mental health is still a very stigmatised topic and we don’t really talk about it. That's why it has always been very important for me in my work.

WION Exclusive! Richa Moorjani on 'Never Have I Ever', mental health and South Asian representation

In 2018, a wave of sadness was felt across India, when Bollywood star Sonali Bendre Behl announced that she was diagnosed with cancer. Today she has managed to treat it like a story of the past. 
 
As she sits here with WION, she returns with a lot of energy despite back-to-back interviews and promotions, which were scheduled before this exclusive conversation. Sonali Bendre is making her debut on the OTT platform with her latest venture in 'The Broken News'. Although she worked in numerous films while shooting for 'The Broken News', Bendre&nbsp;felt like a complete newcomer and arrived with a lot of nervousness. In this conversation, she shares why.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-broken-news-review-jaideep-ahlawat-shriya-pilgaonkar-save-this-middling-series-487035">The Broken News review: Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar save this middling series</a>

 
This is not a regular OTT debut, or come back, but rather right now as we sit here and talk, I see this as you fighting cancer, and coming back to work again.&nbsp; 
 
Wow, that's a nice way of looking at it. The point is that I am alive, I am back, and I am back in action, so that's a plus. But yes, it's been a while since I did fiction, or OTT platform pe toh pehli baar aa rahi hoon (rather it's my first time on OTT platform), so it's different, it's exciting, but nervous also. I have to be honest, I am very nervous about it. 
 
What was your life mantra after you managed to beat cancer?&nbsp; 
 
I think my hashtags said it all, #switchonthesunshine, #onedayatatime, and where this is concerned now, I think today only while talking to somebody I said one step at a time, so I think those are the mantras that, simple things are what are the ideal and the best mantras in life because they are doable, and you can continue with them and one thing that 2018 has taught me&nbsp;is that its the simple things that are important.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/manushi-chhillars-journey-from-a-medical-student-to-akshay-kumars-leading-lady-in-samrat-prithviraj-487100">Exclusive: Manushi Chhillar opens up about her life in spotlight: Miss World to Akshay Kumar’s leading lady</a>

Don't want to dig past graves, but do you remember the initial reaction when you were first diagnosed with cancer?&nbsp; 
 
It was shocking! The fact that this diagnosis had happened, the fact that I was going through it and all of that, but now as I look back, after all those years of acting in movies, I never thought that I was loved so much. Look, you're an actor, you know you're liked, somebody might like your hair, the way you look, it's the dress, it's some story, it's some actor you've worked with, there are so many factors, but for people to be so concerned, that means they loved ME, and for me that was shocking.

I mean, I didn't realise that I had so much love. It was humbling, and it just also made me feel a bit responsible and I don't know what I'll do about that but I do feel like, every time I feel like..., you know how it's like when I always say that about my parents, my mother especially.

My mother never came on the sets with me, she was always like you know, agar aap kaam pe jaate (if you'd go to work), I wouldn't be sitting on that desk next to you, so just you're going to work and I have a daughter at home and I am busy with that. So, you'll come back. And you know, the thing was that whenever my mother has stopped me from doing something, I have definitely done it. Here, it was that my mother was letting me do things and she was not there to say "stop doing this", "don't do that", and suddenly I felt responsible. I felt like, I needed to, she has shown so much of faith in me and I felt like I needed to live up to it, which was not me as a youngster.

So, I just grew up, you know. So, when you talk to my mother, even today she'll say that I was very naughty, and she used to be frustrated with me, which is very unlike the grown-up me, and that change happened when I started movies because I just grew up. And something similar happened to me with this, because I never expected that there's so much love,&nbsp;like I said that you feel that the love is for these various roles, and these reasons, but this showed me that they loved me. And suddenly it makes me feel responsible, I feel like, I don't want to let people down, I don't want to be affected so much also, but it does affect me because I do feel so humbled and I feel that gratitude, that I want to live up to it, kind of a sort. 
 
You are working with Jaideep Ahlawat and Shriya Pilgaonkar. Two of the people who have become well known for OTT.&nbsp; 
 
They are the veterans and I am the newcomer. (Sonali laughs).&nbsp; 
 
I didn't feel like I was an experienced actor, I felt like a newcomer. Also, because the industry has changed so much, everything has changed so much, you know the technique has changed, cameras are so different, in fact, I was talking to somebody the other day and I said that you know, in our time cameras were these huge things, and you know there was, you knew that the camera was on, they made sounds, you shot on films, which was very expensive, so you rehearsed more and you kind of shot it and so you did as little as you could, wasted as little as you could. You're doing digital cameras, now you can shoot as much as you want, so directors are shooting from every angle, the whole scene is shot from some 5-6 angles, which never happened in our times, and like I said cameras are smaller, and suddenly there are all these gadgets and contraptions they come on.

I mean, you know if a camera moved, it was a crane or a dolly, it was a huge process. Now, suddenly there are these little cameras and they are kind of sneaking up on you, so it just puts you off a bit. It's like...it's a bit different. So, I did not feel like I was experienced, I felt like a newcomer, so the way you act, changes, the way OTT is also, the screenplay is also different from films, it's like a longer film to a certain degree but the way the screenplay is different, the way you're kind of doing, so the technique, the writing, the direction, the way you're acting, the lenses have changed, the make-up and hair has changed, the clothes are different, so, it's so much more real now, and you can't have like a mask on anymore. So, all the things that were for putting on a mask are not that much, so I definitely did not feel like an experienced person. I was very nervous and I did feel like a newcomer on the set. Ya, nervous because there were so many changes. 
 
So back then when cameras were expensive and when you made mistakes, did you get a lot of scolding or something?&nbsp; 
 
No, not scolding but you were definitely aware of how expensive film was, so if you made a mistake, you did feel that stress that was felt from the production, from the direction, `to everybody was like "Oh my god, we are wasting a lot of footage", and you could feel that energy. So, on digital that energy is not there. 
 
But I am used to doing it quicker, so when I have to do it so many times that's a different kind of pattern and challenge, when you do the same thing so many times and then yet to make it feel like you're doing it for the first time. It was a challenge. Nowadays I see you make reels with your co-stars, a different kind of mix and mingling isn't it from what it used to be back then?&nbsp; 
 
Oh, we mixed and mingled very well back then also, I mean they are my friends still today and it's been a lifetime and we are still friends so... 
Ya, but there was no social media so probably you guys didn't see the way we were mixing or mingling but you know that was there, we had our own socialising or meeting, we were working so much that it was not like you were constantly but every time we were promoting, or you're working, or you're outdoor, you do end up spending the time. 
 
So you are playing a journalist in your OTT debut.&nbsp; 
 
I'm the editor-in-chief. 
 
What did you like or dislike about our profession?&nbsp; 
 
There's nothing to dislike, I mean, every profession is different from the other so there's nothing to dislike. I don't know if I would say like but I think what I understood, and what was kind of like an eye-opener was I'd say, was what happens behind the headline or the drama in the newsroom or the struggle to get that byline, you know for a journalist how important that is to get that byline, and the struggle that happens till you get that byline and so for Ameena Qureshi, which is my character, she's the editor-in-chief, and I say that everytime you say journalist, is because yes, she is a journalist but she's editor-in-chief because I definitely felt that for her to become the editor-in-chief, she started rookie intern, new reporter, correspondant, deputy editor, I don't know there's so many levels that she has crossed and she has reached editor-in-chief, and we're two women talking, we know that for... in any career for a woman, she needs to work three times as hard as a man, and there's so many glass ceiling, so for Ameena Qureshi to have reached this position, she really had to be made of... and she really had to be as strong as nails, to be able to reach that position and to keep that position. 
 
Do you remember when you decided to be an actress?&nbsp; 
 
I never decided to be an actress. I am an accidental actor. It just happened, I kept getting the roles, so I kept doing them and the money was good, and I was doing it for the money. That's what it was. Yes, what happened is, on the way somewhere I did fall in love with this job but it didn't start off like that. 
 
Just minutes before this interview, I saw you admiring the length of your hair.&nbsp;

Ya, because you know today it's a bit long so it's not been this long for a while and so I was feeling a bit strange. So, you see I was so used to long hair and then suddenly it was no hair, and that was strange and that was different, and look at me now, I am so used to short hair that I am finding the long hair irritating. So, you see how we adapt, that's a human being for you.

You are a beauty icon who proudly shared photos of going bald during cancer.&nbsp; 
 
Ya, it was also because the moment you are scared, you are going to hide and my instinct was to hide and I did not want to hide. So, the moment you step out and the moment you have put it out, the whole world has seen it. Ab kya chupaoge ? (What will you hide now?) So, you know, I do that a lot of times when people say, "Oh, you were so brave" and "You were being such a...", I was not being brave, I was just trying to survive, I was just trying to you know...tackle. I feel the instinct to hide and not meet people and...let me break that. So, it was just to break it, it was just to liberate myself, I was only helping myself.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-exclusive-sonali-bendre-speaks-about-her-cancer-journey-and-ott-debut-487393/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
&nbsp;

In 2018, a wave of sadness was felt across India, when Bollywood star Sonali Bendre Behl announced that she was diagnosed with cancer. Today she has managed to treat it like a story of the past.

In 2018, a wave of sadness was felt across India, when Bollywood star Sonali Bendre Behl announced that she was diagnosed with cancer. Today she has managed to treat it like a story of the past. As she sits here with WION, she returns with a lot of energy despite back-to-back interviews and promotions, which were scheduled before this exclusive conversation. Sonali Bendre is making her debut on the OTT platform with her latest venture in 'The Broken News'. Although she worked in numerous films while shooting for 'The Broken News', Bendre felt like a complete newcomer and arrived with a lot of nervousness. In this conversation, she shares why. Also read: The Broken News review: Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar save this middling series This is not a regular OTT debut, or come back, but rather right now as we sit here and talk, I see this as you fighting cancer, and coming back to work again. Wow, that's a nice way of looking at it. The point is that I am alive, I am back, and I am back in action, so that's a plus. But yes, it's been a while since I did fiction, or OTT platform pe toh pehli baar aa rahi hoon (rather it's my first time on OTT platform), so it's different, it's exciting, but nervous also. I have to be honest, I am very nervous about it. What was your life mantra after you managed to beat cancer? I think my hashtags said it all, #switchonthesunshine, #onedayatatime, and where this is concerned now, I think today only while talking to somebody I said one step at a time, so I think those are the mantras that, simple things are what are the ideal and the best mantras in life because they are doable, and you can continue with them and one thing that 2018 has taught me is that its the simple things that are important. Also read: Exclusive: Manushi Chhillar opens up about her life in spotlight: Miss World to Akshay Kumar’s leading lady Don't want to dig past graves, but do you remember the initial reaction when you were first diagnosed with cancer? It was shocking! The fact that this diagnosis had happened, the fact that I was going through it and all of that, but now as I look back, after all those years of acting in movies, I never thought that I was loved so much. Look, you're an actor, you know you're liked, somebody might like your hair, the way you look, it's the dress, it's some story, it's some actor you've worked with, there are so many factors, but for people to be so concerned, that means they loved ME, and for me that was shocking. I mean, I didn't realise that I had so much love. It was humbling, and it just also made me feel a bit responsible and I don't know what I'll do about that but I do feel like, every time I feel like..., you know how it's like when I always say that about my parents, my mother especially. My mother never came on the sets with me, she was always like you know, agar aap kaam pe jaate (if you'd go to work), I wouldn't be sitting on that desk next to you, so just you're going to work and I have a daughter at home and I am busy with that. So, you'll come back. And you know, the thing was that whenever my mother has stopped me from doing something, I have definitely done it. Here, it was that my mother was letting me do things and she was not there to say "stop doing this", "don't do that", and suddenly I felt responsible. I felt like, I needed to, she has shown so much of faith in me and I felt like I needed to live up to it, which was not me as a youngster. So, I just grew up, you know. So, when you talk to my mother, even today she'll say that I was very naughty, and she used to be frustrated with me, which is very unlike the grown-up me, and that change happened when I started movies because I just grew up. And something similar happened to me with this, because I never expected that there's so much love, like I said that you feel that the love is for these various roles, and these reasons, but this showed me that they loved me. And suddenly it makes me feel responsible, I feel like, I don't want to let people down, I don't want to be affected so much also, but it does affect me because I do feel so humbled and I feel that gratitude, that I want to live up to it, kind of a sort. You are working with Jaideep Ahlawat and Shriya Pilgaonkar. Two of the people who have become well known for OTT. They are the veterans and I am the newcomer. (Sonali laughs). I didn't feel like I was an experienced actor, I felt like a newcomer. Also, because the industry has changed so much, everything has changed so much, you know the technique has changed, cameras are so different, in fact, I was talking to somebody the other day and I said that you know, in our time cameras were these huge things, and you know there was, you knew that the camera was on, they made sounds, you shot on films, which was very expensive, so you rehearsed more and you kind of shot it and so you did as little as you could, wasted as little as you could. You're doing digital cameras, now you can shoot as much as you want, so directors are shooting from every angle, the whole scene is shot from some 5-6 angles, which never happened in our times, and like I said cameras are smaller, and suddenly there are all these gadgets and contraptions they come on. I mean, you know if a camera moved, it was a crane or a dolly, it was a huge process. Now, suddenly there are these little cameras and they are kind of sneaking up on you, so it just puts you off a bit. It's like...it's a bit different. So, I did not feel like I was experienced, I felt like a newcomer, so the way you act, changes, the way OTT is also, the screenplay is also different from films, it's like a longer film to a certain degree but the way the screenplay is different, the way you're kind of doing, so the technique, the writing, the direction, the way you're acting, the lenses have changed, the make-up and hair has changed, the clothes are different, so, it's so much more real now, and you can't have like a mask on anymore. So, all the things that were for putting on a mask are not that much, so I definitely did not feel like an experienced person. I was very nervous and I did feel like a newcomer on the set. Ya, nervous because there were so many changes. So back then when cameras were expensive and when you made mistakes, did you get a lot of scolding or something? No, not scolding but you were definitely aware of how expensive film was, so if you made a mistake, you did feel that stress that was felt from the production, from the direction, `to everybody was like "Oh my god, we are wasting a lot of footage", and you could feel that energy. So, on digital that energy is not there. But I am used to doing it quicker, so when I have to do it so many times that's a different kind of pattern and challenge, when you do the same thing so many times and then yet to make it feel like you're doing it for the first time. It was a challenge. Nowadays I see you make reels with your co-stars, a different kind of mix and mingling isn't it from what it used to be back then? Oh, we mixed and mingled very well back then also, I mean they are my friends still today and it's been a lifetime and we are still friends so... Ya, but there was no social media so probably you guys didn't see the way we were mixing or mingling but you know that was there, we had our own socialising or meeting, we were working so much that it was not like you were constantly but every time we were promoting, or you're working, or you're outdoor, you do end up spending the time. So you are playing a journalist in your OTT debut. I'm the editor-in-chief. What did you like or dislike about our profession? There's nothing to dislike, I mean, every profession is different from the other so there's nothing to dislike. I don't know if I would say like but I think what I understood, and what was kind of like an eye-opener was I'd say, was what happens behind the headline or the drama in the newsroom or the struggle to get that byline, you know for a journalist how important that is to get that byline, and the struggle that happens till you get that byline and so for Ameena Qureshi, which is my character, she's the editor-in-chief, and I say that everytime you say journalist, is because yes, she is a journalist but she's editor-in-chief because I definitely felt that for her to become the editor-in-chief, she started rookie intern, new reporter, correspondant, deputy editor, I don't know there's so many levels that she has crossed and she has reached editor-in-chief, and we're two women talking, we know that for... in any career for a woman, she needs to work three times as hard as a man, and there's so many glass ceiling, so for Ameena Qureshi to have reached this position, she really had to be made of... and she really had to be as strong as nails, to be able to reach that position and to keep that position. Do you remember when you decided to be an actress? I never decided to be an actress. I am an accidental actor. It just happened, I kept getting the roles, so I kept doing them and the money was good, and I was doing it for the money. That's what it was. Yes, what happened is, on the way somewhere I did fall in love with this job but it didn't start off like that. Just minutes before this interview, I saw you admiring the length of your hair. Ya, because you know today it's a bit long so it's not been this long for a while and so I was feeling a bit strange. So, you see I was so used to long hair and then suddenly it was no hair, and that was strange and that was different, and look at me now, I am so used to short hair that I am finding the long hair irritating. So, you see how we adapt, that's a human being for you. You are a beauty icon who proudly shared photos of going bald during cancer. Ya, it was also because the moment you are scared, you are going to hide and my instinct was to hide and I did not want to hide. So, the moment you step out and the moment you have put it out, the whole world has seen it. Ab kya chupaoge ? (What will you hide now?) So, you know, I do that a lot of times when people say, "Oh, you were so brave" and "You were being such a...", I was not being brave, I was just trying to survive, I was just trying to you know...tackle. I feel the instinct to hide and not meet people and...let me break that. So, it was just to break it, it was just to liberate myself, I was only helping myself.

Exclusive: Sonali Bendre talks about her cancer battle, acting comeback & more!

Manushi Chillar, a young woman from India’s northern city, Haryana, made history by representing the country at the Femina Miss India pageant in 2017. She wowed everyone with her beauty, brilliance, and wit, as well as her answer about motherhood, which earned her the title.

She brought the coveted beauty pageant crown back to India 17 years after Priyanka Chopra's win in 2000, which was long overdue. Soon, Manushi became a youth icon and a household name across the country, turning into an inspiration for girls in the country. She was greeted with immense love and landed several endorsements. Apart from this, the young star has also been a part of several social work projects as well.

Chillar recently made her debut in the film industry with Yash Raj Films' period drama 'Samrat Prithviraj’ opposite Akshay Kumar, directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi. Based on an epic poem composed in the Braj Bhasha language, the story revolves around the life journey of mighty Rajput King Prithviraj Chauhan.&nbsp; In the movie, Chillar plays the role of Sanyogita, Princess of Kannauj, who is Prithviraj's wife.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/samrat-prithviraj-review-akshay-kumars-movie-is-a-tedious-ode-to-an-epic-character-484704">‘Samrat Prithviraj’ review: Akshay Kumar's movie is a tedious ode to an epic character</a>

The star is back in the limelight for her outstanding performance in ‘Samrat Prithviraj’. She joined WION for an exclusive interview where she opens up&nbsp;about her debut, her&nbsp;working experience with&nbsp;Akshay Kumar and what she has learned from the superstar while shooting.

Chhillar landed several film opportunities soon after the pageant. However, the star took some time to figure out if she would want to pursue a career in acting or not. "I was studying in a medical school and wanted to become a doctor. And I was very much set on continuing with my studies, and I think the timing was great, of course, when I came to know that an opportunity like this has entered my life," The 25-year-old star&nbsp;shares.&nbsp;

Chhillar's life completely changed after winning Miss World, and when an opportunity like 'Samrat Prithviraj' arrived, the actress thought of shifting her path to acting.&nbsp;

On being asked why she said yes to the film, the actress explains how the story fascinated her.&nbsp;"The story is based on Prithviraj Chauhan, which we all read about. We know these characters. The story I read as a kid. How Prithviraj and Princess Sanyogita eloped from her swayamvar. That caused a little bit of excitement in me."

Talking about her journey from preparing for medicine to a beauty pageant and now pursuing acting, Chhillar says she comes from an environment where everyone thrives on getting a degree and then finding a job. "Things changed after Miss India. I never knew I could make a career in the entertainment industry."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-broken-news-review-jaideep-ahlawat-shriya-pilgaonkar-save-this-middling-series-487035">The Broken News review: Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar save this middling series</a>

The journey has been different for Chhillar. "Going to a pageant for the very first time, facing the camera, the media, being dolled up, speaking your mind in front of millions of people, that's another experience again," she adds.&nbsp; 
 
Speaking of the reactions from family and friends, the former Miss World said, "They all are very very excited. All of them have been waiting for a very long time. Because of the pandemic, the film kept getting pushed."&nbsp;

"For all the people close to me, this is a very new experience," she said.&nbsp;

Working with Akshay Kumar was a learning experience, said&nbsp;Chhillar. "His professionalism, someone as senior as him, who is so specific about time, giving that much of an effort to a film, that really pushes you and encourages you as a newcomer."

Watch the full interview here:-&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-exclusive-manushi-chhillar-on-her-debut-working-with-akshay-kumar-487075/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Manushi Chillar, a young woman from India’s northern city, Haryana, made history by representing the country at the Femina Miss India pageant in 2017. She wowed everyone with her beauty, brilliance, and wit, as well as her answer about motherhood, which earned her the title.

Manushi Chillar, a young woman from India’s northern city, Haryana, made history by representing the country at the Femina Miss India pageant in 2017. She wowed everyone with her beauty, brilliance, and wit, as well as her answer about motherhood, which earned her the title. She brought the coveted beauty pageant crown back to India 17 years after Priyanka Chopra's win in 2000, which was long overdue. Soon, Manushi became a youth icon and a household name across the country, turning into an inspiration for girls in the country. She was greeted with immense love and landed several endorsements. Apart from this, the young star has also been a part of several social work projects as well. Chillar recently made her debut in the film industry with Yash Raj Films' period drama 'Samrat Prithviraj’ opposite Akshay Kumar, directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi. Based on an epic poem composed in the Braj Bhasha language, the story revolves around the life journey of mighty Rajput King Prithviraj Chauhan. In the movie, Chillar plays the role of Sanyogita, Princess of Kannauj, who is Prithviraj's wife. Also Read: ‘Samrat Prithviraj’ review: Akshay Kumar's movie is a tedious ode to an epic character The star is back in the limelight for her outstanding performance in ‘Samrat Prithviraj’. She joined WION for an exclusive interview where she opens up about her debut, her working experience with Akshay Kumar and what she has learned from the superstar while shooting. Chhillar landed several film opportunities soon after the pageant. However, the star took some time to figure out if she would want to pursue a career in acting or not. "I was studying in a medical school and wanted to become a doctor. And I was very much set on continuing with my studies, and I think the timing was great, of course, when I came to know that an opportunity like this has entered my life," The 25-year-old star shares. Chhillar's life completely changed after winning Miss World, and when an opportunity like 'Samrat Prithviraj' arrived, the actress thought of shifting her path to acting. On being asked why she said yes to the film, the actress explains how the story fascinated her. "The story is based on Prithviraj Chauhan, which we all read about. We know these characters. The story I read as a kid. How Prithviraj and Princess Sanyogita eloped from her swayamvar. That caused a little bit of excitement in me." Talking about her journey from preparing for medicine to a beauty pageant and now pursuing acting, Chhillar says she comes from an environment where everyone thrives on getting a degree and then finding a job. "Things changed after Miss India. I never knew I could make a career in the entertainment industry." Also Read: The Broken News review: Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar save this middling series The journey has been different for Chhillar. "Going to a pageant for the very first time, facing the camera, the media, being dolled up, speaking your mind in front of millions of people, that's another experience again," she adds. Speaking of the reactions from family and friends, the former Miss World said, "They all are very very excited. All of them have been waiting for a very long time. Because of the pandemic, the film kept getting pushed." "For all the people close to me, this is a very new experience," she said. Working with Akshay Kumar was a learning experience, said Chhillar. "His professionalism, someone as senior as him, who is so specific about time, giving that much of an effort to a film, that really pushes you and encourages you as a newcomer." Watch the full interview here:-

Exclusive: Manushi Chhillar opens up about her life in spotlight: Miss World to Akshay Kumar’s leading lady

If you are a headphone-wearing music addict, who kept a keen note of everything happening on the radio in the late 2000s or early 2010s, chances are you have at least heard one or two soundtracks or even an album by Jay Sean. Even now, the most kicking clubs sound empty without the track 'Ride It' playing at least once. The singer was recently in India to perform at concerts in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Just minutes before his Mumbai concert last week, WION got the opportunity to speak to Jay Sean via Zoom call. Here's an excerpt of the conversation:

WION: Jay Sean, hello and welcome to WION. How have you been?

Jay Sean: Thank you for having me you guys, I have been incredible. I have had the most wonderful&nbsp;tour of India. Especially bearing in mind, that during the pandemic, we were unable to tour as artists, that was so difficult for us. I usually come to India at least once a year, so it was really nice for me to be back. &nbsp;&nbsp;

WION: You had shows in New Delhi, Bengaluru and now you have one in Mumbai. How has the response been so far?

Jay Sean:&nbsp;I mean honestly, absolutely electrifying. We have very different shows depending on what part of the world I am performing in. In Delhi,&nbsp;it's a very heavy Punjabi roots demographic so it allows me to be able to draw certain songs that will really act well in that audience, that I don’t necessarily get to perform in other parts of the world. So that was super fun. Then in Bengaluru, we almost got rained out. We had an outdoor venue. It was like an amphitheatre, and I didn’t expect this time it would rain. But the show went on and it was absolutely wonderful. I'm pretty sure that tonight is going to be amazing, all our tickets are sold out. So it would be great. &nbsp;

WION: When did you decide that you&nbsp;just want to sing?

Jay Sean:&nbsp;You know it was always more than just singing for me. I&nbsp;enjoy the process of singing.&nbsp;I enjoy writing songs, and I enjoy performing them but what I wanted to do was&nbsp;to change the way South Asian people such as myself were portrayed in society. When I was a kid, and I listened to Hip Hop, there wasn’t anybody who looked like me on TV.&nbsp;There was no brown boy doing mainstream music and I thought to myself, well that needs to change, doesn't it? Look how many of us are there are in this world. We are the second largest demographic on planet Earth, and you can't name me one&nbsp;Indian popstar...are you serious! So I was like this needs to change. And that to this day is something that I have always advocated for.&nbsp;I have always wanted more of us in mainstream representation.&nbsp;I've always tried to break down the barriers and that to me is my calling. &nbsp;

WION: What should we expect from Jay Sean? Give an exclusive on your upcoming albums or songs?

Jay Sean: Music is always going to be there for me and I will keep doing it as long as people want to keep hearing music from me, but I have a bigger picture, a bigger vision. I am creating a hub&nbsp;to bring out South Asian artists and be that portal to the mainstream. Everything I have been through in my career, you have to go through that process, you can't necessarily bring that whole scene forward if you yourself are not established. So now I'm in that position, where I'm in the spotlight so I want to bring the next generation artists to the spotlight, whether they are singers, songwriters, performers, dancers, authors, actors.&nbsp;This is my main goal now, so that's something I have been working on. &nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-origin-artists-jay-sean-exclusive-on-his-love-for-india-music-and-more-wion-exclusive-472327/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

If you are a headphone-wearing music addict, who kept a keen note of everything happening on the radio in the late 2000s or early 2010s, chances are you have at least heard one or two soundtracks or even an album by Jay Sean.

If you are a headphone-wearing music addict, who kept a keen note of everything happening on the radio in the late 2000s or early 2010s, chances are you have at least heard one or two soundtracks or even an album by Jay Sean. Even now, the most kicking clubs sound empty without the track 'Ride It' playing at least once. The singer was recently in India to perform at concerts in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Just minutes before his Mumbai concert last week, WION got the opportunity to speak to Jay Sean via Zoom call. Here's an excerpt of the conversation: WION: Jay Sean, hello and welcome to WION. How have you been? Jay Sean: Thank you for having me you guys, I have been incredible. I have had the most wonderful tour of India. Especially bearing in mind, that during the pandemic, we were unable to tour as artists, that was so difficult for us. I usually come to India at least once a year, so it was really nice for me to be back. WION: You had shows in New Delhi, Bengaluru and now you have one in Mumbai. How has the response been so far? Jay Sean: I mean honestly, absolutely electrifying. We have very different shows depending on what part of the world I am performing in. In Delhi, it's a very heavy Punjabi roots demographic so it allows me to be able to draw certain songs that will really act well in that audience, that I don’t necessarily get to perform in other parts of the world. So that was super fun. Then in Bengaluru, we almost got rained out. We had an outdoor venue. It was like an amphitheatre, and I didn’t expect this time it would rain. But the show went on and it was absolutely wonderful. I'm pretty sure that tonight is going to be amazing, all our tickets are sold out. So it would be great. WION: When did you decide that you just want to sing? Jay Sean: You know it was always more than just singing for me. I enjoy the process of singing. I enjoy writing songs, and I enjoy performing them but what I wanted to do was to change the way South Asian people such as myself were portrayed in society. When I was a kid, and I listened to Hip Hop, there wasn’t anybody who looked like me on TV. There was no brown boy doing mainstream music and I thought to myself, well that needs to change, doesn't it? Look how many of us are there are in this world. We are the second largest demographic on planet Earth, and you can't name me one Indian popstar...are you serious! So I was like this needs to change. And that to this day is something that I have always advocated for. I have always wanted more of us in mainstream representation. I've always tried to break down the barriers and that to me is my calling. WION: What should we expect from Jay Sean? Give an exclusive on your upcoming albums or songs? Jay Sean: Music is always going to be there for me and I will keep doing it as long as people want to keep hearing music from me, but I have a bigger picture, a bigger vision. I am creating a hub to bring out South Asian artists and be that portal to the mainstream. Everything I have been through in my career, you have to go through that process, you can't necessarily bring that whole scene forward if you yourself are not established. So now I'm in that position, where I'm in the spotlight so I want to bring the next generation artists to the spotlight, whether they are singers, songwriters, performers, dancers, authors, actors. This is my main goal now, so that's something I have been working on.

Exclusive! Jay Sean: Want to bring more South Asian talents to the spotlight

Earlier this month, WION got the opportunity to interact with 'Dasvi' cast Abhishek Bachchan, Nimrat Kaur and director Tushar Jalota. The fictional film is based on Gangaram Chaudhury, who decides to take his Class 10 exams during his stay at a correctional centre. Meanwhile his wife, Bimla Devi takes over as the Chief Minister of the state in his absence. When you look back at recent political history, one might find a lot of similarities to real incidents, however, the cast told us that real events did not play a role in building the narrative of 'Dasvi'.&nbsp; 
Here's an excerpt of our conversation.&nbsp;

Q: You promoted 'Dasvi' inside the Agra Central Jail. It's not something that most Bollywood films do. Can you share your experience? &nbsp; 
 
Nimrat Kaur: &nbsp;I filmed the least number of days inside the jail and honestly, I had no idea of what the jail looked like, I had not seen any pictures or anything like that, When I walked into that environment, I was still waiting for the jail to start. For a very long time, because it was so pretty, there were gorgeous lawns, big space and I went there at the hour when shaam ki puja ho raahi thi, the evening prayers were going on so there were bhajan kirtans going on, I saw from a distance there was a temple, massive playground, I was waiting for the jail to start you see. Because I thought that for some reason (looks at Tushar) and I don’t know if I told you this, (looks back at me) but I thought that the unit had created sort of a clean environment for the actors to shoot and I kept waiting, and you know in my mind what jail looks like, you know you expect it to look like really dark grim, punishing in nature, I didn’t see any of that. It was over by the time we got to the barracks part even. They were shooting a very big scene, there were a lot of people around. I was astounded by the cleanliness, and the safety you felt, especially as a girl walking in. Even though you are surrounded by bouncers, policemen, the authorities and guards and whatnot, you know as a girl you feel a little bit vulnerable where you know people are in for not being socially accepted elements. I did not feel unsafe even for a second, Just the way the different section of the jail was, I couldn’t have prepared myself for an environment like that. &nbsp;

Abhishek Bachchan: Yes, it was my first time and it wasn’t like anything that I had expected. You know we all have these preconceived notions about what jail would look like and what the inmates would be like and they broke all those stereotypes. I remember asking Tushar on our first day of the shoot, are you sure this is jail because it looks more like a country club. Then as a citizen, you feel proud that your correctional facilities are so progressive but then the point is, hey we are used to the public by and large preconceived notion that jails look like this. So are they gonna believe that jails look like this, that this is a real jail. &nbsp;So then it was so clean and well maintained the inmates were so disciplined and well-mannered, that the discussion actually came about that are you sure we need to be shooting it here, we need to shoot it in place that is more suited to what we think jails are like. So it was a pleasant surprise and it was a pleasurable experience we would obviously like to thank all the authorities for granting us the permission and there were severe protocols in place. They were very very cooperative, and it was a memorable experience. &nbsp;

Tushar Jalota: Yeah, likewise, as he said. First getting permission was tough to process, but once we got inside, you know, it was spick and span, so clean, and people were so disciplined out there. Although we did not like using the inmates in the film. They were in the background somewhere, but they did not disturb us at all, it was very peaceful. &nbsp;

Q: As a director how did you do your research? Did you visit the inmates quite often? &nbsp;

Tushar: No, I did not. (Laughs) I hope not to go there, not to go there ever again. See there was a story, you know what we wrote down and I wanted it to be as authentic, and I saw some pictures of this jail, and I went there and found some places I wanted to shoot at, and I said you know we should go and look at the place. And I went there and I found the spot I wanted to shoot. The authorities were really cooperative and ensured that the entire process was smooth and I'm glad that it happened and it went on very smoothly. &nbsp;

Q: What really caught my attention was Nimrat and Abhishek's raw dialect. What kind of training did you go through? &nbsp;

Abhishek: I think as actors you are very lucky when you get such well-defined characters and such a great character arc. As actors when you get an opportunity like that you really go for it, sink your teeth into it. So there were various things that we needed to do to prep mostly, as most actors do. As far as the dialect is concerned we had Tushar who arranged a dialect coach who had helped us before and during the filming of 'Dasvi' . The entire quest was to try and be as authentic as possible. There were certain characters that Tushar had written and he wanted them, saw them in a particular way and he wanted that transition from being film actors to bring those characters to be seamless. And I hope that it translated, and you saying that boosts our confidence. &nbsp;

Nimrat: I think that people know that I come from a different country and when I'm employed there is expected to speak a language that is relevant to them, and very often actually, we were talking about this earlier, that you know, my accent, the way I speak English can be a little bit restricted for people to understand completely, because the American accent is very different and sometimes, if the American accent comes from the mid-west then I can't understand that, so an accent is something that is a problem for the world over, for every human being if you put them in a different country. &nbsp;

Q; Nimrat, you have experienced Hollywood as well as Bollywood. Now when you work in the industry, what kind of changes do you see? &nbsp;

Nimrat: Well, you know I started my film career with 'The Lunchbox'. For me that kind of broke norms in every way. It was commercially as successful as it could have been given the number of theatres they were released in at the time. It has been loved as much by you know all kinds of people. I think that the Indian film industry has been going through a subtle but sure change for a long time. We end up noticing things after a while. They become talking points after a while. Thanks to the OTT platforms, there's so much content, there's so much more work happening, I think that change has always been a part of the industry, whether it was the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, whenever, you know. What I have witnessed is a sure change in the way parts are written for women. That is something I have experienced quite closely. They no longer want to see girls play the same part. That for me has been a more notable change. &nbsp;

 
Q: 'Dasvi' touches on the subject of 'right to education as well as a politician who chooses to educate himself while living inside a jail. Can you tell us how the idea came about? &nbsp;

Tushar Jalota: See it's not a film on education, neither is it about education, that's all the backdrop of it. It is an entertaining Hindi, masala film. If there's a message that comes along and the audience picks it, then good we will be very happy, but the intention was always to make a very entertaining film. That's what it is about. &nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-dasvi-cast-speaks-to-wion-on-their-experience-inside-a-central-jail-and-more-469658/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Earlier this month, WION got the opportunity to interact with 'Dasvi' cast Abhishek Bachchan, Nimrat Kaur and director Tushar Jalota. The fictional film is based on Gangaram Chaudhury, who decides to take his Class 10 exams during his stay at a correctional centre.

Earlier this month, WION got the opportunity to interact with 'Dasvi' cast Abhishek Bachchan, Nimrat Kaur and director Tushar Jalota. The fictional film is based on Gangaram Chaudhury, who decides to take his Class 10 exams during his stay at a correctional centre. Meanwhile his wife, Bimla Devi takes over as the Chief Minister of the state in his absence. When you look back at recent political history, one might find a lot of similarities to real incidents, however, the cast told us that real events did not play a role in building the narrative of 'Dasvi'. Here's an excerpt of our conversation. Q: You promoted 'Dasvi' inside the Agra Central Jail. It's not something that most Bollywood films do. Can you share your experience? Nimrat Kaur: I filmed the least number of days inside the jail and honestly, I had no idea of what the jail looked like, I had not seen any pictures or anything like that, When I walked into that environment, I was still waiting for the jail to start. For a very long time, because it was so pretty, there were gorgeous lawns, big space and I went there at the hour when shaam ki puja ho raahi thi, the evening prayers were going on so there were bhajan kirtans going on, I saw from a distance there was a temple, massive playground, I was waiting for the jail to start you see. Because I thought that for some reason (looks at Tushar) and I don’t know if I told you this, (looks back at me) but I thought that the unit had created sort of a clean environment for the actors to shoot and I kept waiting, and you know in my mind what jail looks like, you know you expect it to look like really dark grim, punishing in nature, I didn’t see any of that. It was over by the time we got to the barracks part even. They were shooting a very big scene, there were a lot of people around. I was astounded by the cleanliness, and the safety you felt, especially as a girl walking in. Even though you are surrounded by bouncers, policemen, the authorities and guards and whatnot, you know as a girl you feel a little bit vulnerable where you know people are in for not being socially accepted elements. I did not feel unsafe even for a second, Just the way the different section of the jail was, I couldn’t have prepared myself for an environment like that. Abhishek Bachchan: Yes, it was my first time and it wasn’t like anything that I had expected. You know we all have these preconceived notions about what jail would look like and what the inmates would be like and they broke all those stereotypes. I remember asking Tushar on our first day of the shoot, are you sure this is jail because it looks more like a country club. Then as a citizen, you feel proud that your correctional facilities are so progressive but then the point is, hey we are used to the public by and large preconceived notion that jails look like this. So are they gonna believe that jails look like this, that this is a real jail. So then it was so clean and well maintained the inmates were so disciplined and well-mannered, that the discussion actually came about that are you sure we need to be shooting it here, we need to shoot it in place that is more suited to what we think jails are like. So it was a pleasant surprise and it was a pleasurable experience we would obviously like to thank all the authorities for granting us the permission and there were severe protocols in place. They were very very cooperative, and it was a memorable experience. Tushar Jalota: Yeah, likewise, as he said. First getting permission was tough to process, but once we got inside, you know, it was spick and span, so clean, and people were so disciplined out there. Although we did not like using the inmates in the film. They were in the background somewhere, but they did not disturb us at all, it was very peaceful. Q: As a director how did you do your research? Did you visit the inmates quite often? Tushar: No, I did not. (Laughs) I hope not to go there, not to go there ever again. See there was a story, you know what we wrote down and I wanted it to be as authentic, and I saw some pictures of this jail, and I went there and found some places I wanted to shoot at, and I said you know we should go and look at the place. And I went there and I found the spot I wanted to shoot. The authorities were really cooperative and ensured that the entire process was smooth and I'm glad that it happened and it went on very smoothly. Q: What really caught my attention was Nimrat and Abhishek's raw dialect. What kind of training did you go through? Abhishek: I think as actors you are very lucky when you get such well-defined characters and such a great character arc. As actors when you get an opportunity like that you really go for it, sink your teeth into it. So there were various things that we needed to do to prep mostly, as most actors do. As far as the dialect is concerned we had Tushar who arranged a dialect coach who had helped us before and during the filming of 'Dasvi' . The entire quest was to try and be as authentic as possible. There were certain characters that Tushar had written and he wanted them, saw them in a particular way and he wanted that transition from being film actors to bring those characters to be seamless. And I hope that it translated, and you saying that boosts our confidence. Nimrat: I think that people know that I come from a different country and when I'm employed there is expected to speak a language that is relevant to them, and very often actually, we were talking about this earlier, that you know, my accent, the way I speak English can be a little bit restricted for people to understand completely, because the American accent is very different and sometimes, if the American accent comes from the mid-west then I can't understand that, so an accent is something that is a problem for the world over, for every human being if you put them in a different country. Q; Nimrat, you have experienced Hollywood as well as Bollywood. Now when you work in the industry, what kind of changes do you see? Nimrat: Well, you know I started my film career with 'The Lunchbox'. For me that kind of broke norms in every way. It was commercially as successful as it could have been given the number of theatres they were released in at the time. It has been loved as much by you know all kinds of people. I think that the Indian film industry has been going through a subtle but sure change for a long time. We end up noticing things after a while. They become talking points after a while. Thanks to the OTT platforms, there's so much content, there's so much more work happening, I think that change has always been a part of the industry, whether it was the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, whenever, you know. What I have witnessed is a sure change in the way parts are written for women. That is something I have experienced quite closely. They no longer want to see girls play the same part. That for me has been a more notable change. Q: 'Dasvi' touches on the subject of 'right to education as well as a politician who chooses to educate himself while living inside a jail. Can you tell us how the idea came about? Tushar Jalota: See it's not a film on education, neither is it about education, that's all the backdrop of it. It is an entertaining Hindi, masala film. If there's a message that comes along and the audience picks it, then good we will be very happy, but the intention was always to make a very entertaining film. That's what it is about.

EXCLUSIVE: Abhishek Bachchan and Nimrat Kaur on their experience of filming inside central jail for 'Dasvi'

On a summer afternoon, WION got the opportunity to interact with Lucky Ali in Delhi where the singer had come to promote his upcoming album 'Intezaar'.&nbsp; 
 
Off the record, the singer readily spoke on all subjects; Russia-Ukraine, the impact of the war, inflation including Bollywood gossip...who’s the most intelligent actor, the non-intelligent actor, the most slappable actor, (that was the day when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock and the rest is history). Be it global issues or regular gossip, Ali seemed like a patient listener who cares deeply about others' opinions. 
 
During the tete-a-tete, the singer spoke about music, war and much more. Here are the excerpts.&nbsp;

Where are you planning to head with your new album, ‘Intezaar’? &nbsp;

A: I really don’t know where I am going, I really don’t. But for as long as I know where I’m going, I will keep doing the work that I know of, which is music and help in whatever way I can to make some kind of difference hopefully...Even if I am not here, the music should be here. &nbsp;

It’s not every day that we get to sit and chat like this, but now that I have got the opportunity, I really want to ask, remember the viral video of you in Goa? What happened exactly back then? &nbsp;

A: After the pandemic, I really needed to go somewhere, I didn’t want to go to the mountains, so I went to the beach, so we drove down to the beach and then my friends live there and they said that there’s this group of musicians and they are very talented. It was a multi-cultural band. So I went to listen to them and enjoyed their performance, and at the end of their performance, they started playing my song. After that I was kind of.... you know obliged to you know then play the song. That was the expectation and that was what I did. I started making mistakes and fumbling and what not. &nbsp;

Do you remember how music happened? Your inspirations? &nbsp;

A: My inspiration for the music was,...umm...I mean, of course, my parents were movie makers and there were a lot of artists who came home so that’s where the education started or the feeling towards music, and I think I gather my inspiration from anything. It’s just there, it comes to me. Anything could be a form of inspiration, even a child saying something can make sense, and that could become a song and yeah, there’s no given formula I function with. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Every creative person I know has a method. What has been yours? &nbsp;

A: Confusion...confusion has been my method. That’s my method. If you even come to my studio you will find things just in such a haphazard way I’m embarrassed to call people, it’s a very messy studio and that is how I function. So I try to make order out of chaos, so where there is chaos I'm very good at sorting things out. &nbsp;

So do you remember the time when you thought, oh I want to be a musician? &nbsp;

A: I didn’t want to be in the film industry, to be honest, first of all, I didn’t like the place. I didn’t like the place because, I mean my father had had his run, and he was on the farm for twenty years when he didn’t work and he was happier there. For me that made more sense, he was happier being where he was so that became a kind of thing for me. So when dad died, my love for the industry also faded away. But I needed to express and the only thing that I really understood was my instrument, my thoughts and getting them together. For a long time people said, man decide what you want to be an actor or musician, what do you want to be. I said I can be anything I want to be. But it was very hard for people to accept that no you have to do this or you have to do that. They have to-dos, the cant dos, I had to move away from that, to find a way to do what I do. &nbsp;

So what pushed you exactly towards music? &nbsp;

A: As a child, we saw Elvis Presley. So that was something, I mean he was this person with a guitar. That was the image I wanted to be. I don’t remember his songs, I mean there are some songs that I do remember. And everybody at that time was you so singing and doing something like that, you know impersonating Elvis Presley. That’s what I took away from it, I wanted to be a musician. I got my first guitar when I was thirteen years old, and I felt, oh man, now that I have the guitar, I got the music. But it started from that. &nbsp;

What would you like to bring back from the 90s to this era? &nbsp;

A: Nothing, there’s nothing that I want to change. I'm actually very grateful to the almighty for giving me this opportunity to have this journey. Now what’s left of the journey is what I think of. &nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lucky-ali-reminisces-about-his-early-showbiz-days-467738/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On a summer afternoon, WION got the opportunity to interact with Lucky Ali in Delhi where the singer had come to promote his upcoming album 'Intezaar'. Off the record, the singer readily spoke on all subjects; Russia-Ukraine, the impact of the war, inflation including Bollywood gossip.

On a summer afternoon, WION got the opportunity to interact with Lucky Ali in Delhi where the singer had come to promote his upcoming album 'Intezaar'. Off the record, the singer readily spoke on all subjects; Russia-Ukraine, the impact of the war, inflation including Bollywood gossip...who’s the most intelligent actor, the non-intelligent actor, the most slappable actor, (that was the day when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock and the rest is history). Be it global issues or regular gossip, Ali seemed like a patient listener who cares deeply about others' opinions. During the tete-a-tete, the singer spoke about music, war and much more. Here are the excerpts. Where are you planning to head with your new album, ‘Intezaar’? A: I really don’t know where I am going, I really don’t. But for as long as I know where I’m going, I will keep doing the work that I know of, which is music and help in whatever way I can to make some kind of difference hopefully...Even if I am not here, the music should be here. It’s not every day that we get to sit and chat like this, but now that I have got the opportunity, I really want to ask, remember the viral video of you in Goa? What happened exactly back then? A: After the pandemic, I really needed to go somewhere, I didn’t want to go to the mountains, so I went to the beach, so we drove down to the beach and then my friends live there and they said that there’s this group of musicians and they are very talented. It was a multi-cultural band. So I went to listen to them and enjoyed their performance, and at the end of their performance, they started playing my song. After that I was kind of.... you know obliged to you know then play the song. That was the expectation and that was what I did. I started making mistakes and fumbling and what not. Do you remember how music happened? Your inspirations? A: My inspiration for the music was,...umm...I mean, of course, my parents were movie makers and there were a lot of artists who came home so that’s where the education started or the feeling towards music, and I think I gather my inspiration from anything. It’s just there, it comes to me. Anything could be a form of inspiration, even a child saying something can make sense, and that could become a song and yeah, there’s no given formula I function with. Every creative person I know has a method. What has been yours? A: Confusion...confusion has been my method. That’s my method. If you even come to my studio you will find things just in such a haphazard way I’m embarrassed to call people, it’s a very messy studio and that is how I function. So I try to make order out of chaos, so where there is chaos I'm very good at sorting things out. So do you remember the time when you thought, oh I want to be a musician? A: I didn’t want to be in the film industry, to be honest, first of all, I didn’t like the place. I didn’t like the place because, I mean my father had had his run, and he was on the farm for twenty years when he didn’t work and he was happier there. For me that made more sense, he was happier being where he was so that became a kind of thing for me. So when dad died, my love for the industry also faded away. But I needed to express and the only thing that I really understood was my instrument, my thoughts and getting them together. For a long time people said, man decide what you want to be an actor or musician, what do you want to be. I said I can be anything I want to be. But it was very hard for people to accept that no you have to do this or you have to do that. They have to-dos, the cant dos, I had to move away from that, to find a way to do what I do. So what pushed you exactly towards music? A: As a child, we saw Elvis Presley. So that was something, I mean he was this person with a guitar. That was the image I wanted to be. I don’t remember his songs, I mean there are some songs that I do remember. And everybody at that time was you so singing and doing something like that, you know impersonating Elvis Presley. That’s what I took away from it, I wanted to be a musician. I got my first guitar when I was thirteen years old, and I felt, oh man, now that I have the guitar, I got the music. But it started from that. What would you like to bring back from the 90s to this era? A: Nothing, there’s nothing that I want to change. I'm actually very grateful to the almighty for giving me this opportunity to have this journey. Now what’s left of the journey is what I think of.

The Lucky Ali interview: On ‘Intezaar’, first inspiration, Elvis Presley and more  

When Italian composer Andrea Bocelli suffered from Glaucoma at the&nbsp;age of 12, he was completely blind, but that did not stop him from recording 15 albums of pop and classical music, nine operas, which sold over 70 million records.

His son, Matteo Bocelli plans to continue his father's legacy, but with a personal touch of his own golden voice.

In his music videos, he is high on style, glamour and ambitions. Days before his first trip to India, WION got an exclusive opportunity to speak to the singer-songwriter, who joined us from Italy via Zoom call.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bocelli was in a fresh mood to start the conversation. He had his&nbsp;keyboard&nbsp;and guitar ready in place. It happened twice in the middle of the conversation when he simply played a few tunes to express himself because he couldn't find the right words.

Even in his cheerfulness, Matteo had an aura of a calm composer. Throughout the fifteen minutes of the conversation, and ten minutes of setting up the cameras, audio equipment, he didn't seem to be in a rush to give an answer.&nbsp;&nbsp;

When Matteo switched on his video, he was seated in front of a bricked set-up. What set the mood was the designed off-white wall in the background which&nbsp;had a glow that reflected from a lamp placed near it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

WION: Let's talk about 'Solo', which is your first single. When we watch a music video set in the mountains, and with a title like 'Solo', we immediately imagine the protagonist with an intense expression. But you had the hint of a smile.

Matteo Bocelli: Well, it's true that the song&nbsp;may be&nbsp;a little far from what the video is, but you see, the video reflects the essence of the music, the meaning. 'Solo' was a song that I wrote, the inspiration came from fact that loneliness is a very fragile aspect of my character. Solo means lonely in English. This was caused by the fact that when I was little, I used to see my father travelling the world, for a kid it is not easy to see your father leave home. Today, I see myself a little bit in the same place you know the same route, travelling all over, leaving home, all the family, friends, leaving home, the people in general that I love, it's not been easy. All&nbsp;this&nbsp;is of course&nbsp;moved&nbsp;from&nbsp;the biggest passion I had, that is music.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WION: Your music comes with a classic touch of cello, piano and modern touch of the drums. That is why you possibly have a separate fanbase. What kind of practice do you do to get such a fusion?

Matteo Bocelli: I was born, of course, with opera and classical music, but at the same time, I was born in a different generation where my friends were listening to Eminem and now Ed Sheeran and so, I always see that we are the sum of all our experiences, especially here is the music experience. And it is not easy for me to describe myself and say what I am today. Today, I am Matteo, and I prefer to receive from people a description of my music. But I have always been open to any genre of music. The&nbsp;ones that I love most are pop and opera.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WION: Do you remember the exact moment when you decided to follow in your father's footsteps?&nbsp;

Matteo Bocelli: The first important moment for me was when I approached music at the age of six or seven years&nbsp;old and&nbsp;started playing the piano. Singing was just something I did for myself and only with myself because I was very shy, and I couldn’t sing in front of people. So, I was mostly singing in front of my mother. My father's house was always full of people and there wasn’t much privacy until the day for some reason I opened up and said let's try to sing in front of my father. He was surprised and that's when I started to open up and sing in front of him. Then I got the technique and suggestions. Then 2018 had been the most important year for me, it was when I did the duet with my father, 'Follow Me'. That was when I understood that my passion for music was going farther, you know, something more.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WION: When you started playing, what were your regular practice pieces and which ones were you addicted to?

Matteo Bocelli: When I started to play the piano, I was into Chappell, he was my favourite composer. I have always considered myself a very romantic guy and Chappell, I think, is the most perfect example of romanticism and deep emotional composer.

&nbsp;

WION: Now let's talk about the most awaited question, India. This is your first trip to the country, what are you waiting to experience?

Matteo Bocelli: I'm&nbsp;really looking forward to discovering and learning about this amazing country, which unluckily I never had the chance to visit. I have been travelling the world my entire life but unluckily never had the chance to visit India. So, I'm&nbsp;very excited and it will be very important for my career.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WION: Which Indian stars are you looking forward to working with?

Matteo Bocelli:&nbsp;I don’t know if I can say the name, but I will keep you in the surprise. I did a collaboration that I can't wait to share with all of you. It is a love song, and I can tell you that I will be recording the music video in India next week. Lots of exciting things coming up next month.

&nbsp;

WION: Music lovers in India are exposed to widely different genres of music. How do you plan on establishing yourself?

Matteo Bocelli: Well, the project is quite homogenic. The sound of the project is not too far, we don’t have opera and the project of pop. In the last few years, I wrote about 70 songs and now is the moment to choose which one. It is not easy because you want to have an album of 70 songs but&nbsp;it's&nbsp;not possible. It is an exciting moment for me but not easy because you have to pick the song which you think is the right one for the historic moment we are having. Before the end of this year, my first album will be out.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WION: Tell us about the musical composition you listen to on a repeat mode.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Matteo Bocelli: I have always been very fascinated by Ed Sheeran. He has been able to reach and develop a lot of incredible things. The way he&nbsp;approached&nbsp;his live performance, I have never found anyone able to entertain 80,000 people in a stadium with just his voice and a guitar, it's truly impressive. The way he writes his lyrics, he is a storyteller, and I only listen to his songs. You can fall into what he writes, he has written some amazing melodies, he got the most successful ballads in&nbsp;music&nbsp;history. He is a&nbsp;phenomenon&nbsp;that happens once every hundred years. &nbsp;I also listen to Adele. She released her beautiful album. We have many amazing artists on this planet. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WION: Lately what do you think about the entire cultural boycott that has happened in Russia?

Matteo Bocelli: Well, I always try to send a message of love, hope and now, more than ever, I think we artists have to concentrate our energies to spread love and hope to people who are suffering&nbsp;at&nbsp;this moment. Even if I feel like a little drop of water, even if I'm just a little drop of water, we can be a big ocean of love in this world. We hope that this horrible situation ends very soon.

&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Hitting the right notes: Matteo Bocelli speaks to WION ahead of his first trip to India

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hitting-the-right-notes-matteo-bocelli-speaks-to-wion-ahead-of-his-first-trip-to-india-463324/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

When Italian composer Andrea Bocelli suffered from Glaucoma at the age of 12, he was completely blind, but that did not stop him from recording 15 albums of pop and classical music, nine operas, which sold over 70 million records.

When Italian composer Andrea Bocelli suffered from Glaucoma at the age of 12, he was completely blind, but that did not stop him from recording 15 albums of pop and classical music, nine operas, which sold over 70 million records. His son, Matteo Bocelli plans to continue his father's legacy, but with a personal touch of his own golden voice. In his music videos, he is high on style, glamour and ambitions. Days before his first trip to India, WION got an exclusive opportunity to speak to the singer-songwriter, who joined us from Italy via Zoom call. Bocelli was in a fresh mood to start the conversation. He had his keyboard and guitar ready in place. It happened twice in the middle of the conversation when he simply played a few tunes to express himself because he couldn't find the right words. Even in his cheerfulness, Matteo had an aura of a calm composer. Throughout the fifteen minutes of the conversation, and ten minutes of setting up the cameras, audio equipment, he didn't seem to be in a rush to give an answer. When Matteo switched on his video, he was seated in front of a bricked set-up. What set the mood was the designed off-white wall in the background which had a glow that reflected from a lamp placed near it. WION: Let's talk about 'Solo', which is your first single. When we watch a music video set in the mountains, and with a title like 'Solo', we immediately imagine the protagonist with an intense expression. But you had the hint of a smile. Matteo Bocelli: Well, it's true that the song may be a little far from what the video is, but you see, the video reflects the essence of the music, the meaning. 'Solo' was a song that I wrote, the inspiration came from fact that loneliness is a very fragile aspect of my character. Solo means lonely in English. This was caused by the fact that when I was little, I used to see my father travelling the world, for a kid it is not easy to see your father leave home. Today, I see myself a little bit in the same place you know the same route, travelling all over, leaving home, all the family, friends, leaving home, the people in general that I love, it's not been easy. All this is of course moved from the biggest passion I had, that is music. WION: Your music comes with a classic touch of cello, piano and modern touch of the drums. That is why you possibly have a separate fanbase. What kind of practice do you do to get such a fusion? Matteo Bocelli: I was born, of course, with opera and classical music, but at the same time, I was born in a different generation where my friends were listening to Eminem and now Ed Sheeran and so, I always see that we are the sum of all our experiences, especially here is the music experience. And it is not easy for me to describe myself and say what I am today. Today, I am Matteo, and I prefer to receive from people a description of my music. But I have always been open to any genre of music. The ones that I love most are pop and opera. WION: Do you remember the exact moment when you decided to follow in your father's footsteps? Matteo Bocelli: The first important moment for me was when I approached music at the age of six or seven years old and started playing the piano. Singing was just something I did for myself and only with myself because I was very shy, and I couldn’t sing in front of people. So, I was mostly singing in front of my mother. My father's house was always full of people and there wasn’t much privacy until the day for some reason I opened up and said let's try to sing in front of my father. He was surprised and that's when I started to open up and sing in front of him. Then I got the technique and suggestions. Then 2018 had been the most important year for me, it was when I did the duet with my father, 'Follow Me'. That was when I understood that my passion for music was going farther, you know, something more. WION: When you started playing, what were your regular practice pieces and which ones were you addicted to? Matteo Bocelli: When I started to play the piano, I was into Chappell, he was my favourite composer. I have always considered myself a very romantic guy and Chappell, I think, is the most perfect example of romanticism and deep emotional composer. WION: Now let's talk about the most awaited question, India. This is your first trip to the country, what are you waiting to experience? Matteo Bocelli: I'm really looking forward to discovering and learning about this amazing country, which unluckily I never had the chance to visit. I have been travelling the world my entire life but unluckily never had the chance to visit India. So, I'm very excited and it will be very important for my career. WION: Which Indian stars are you looking forward to working with? Matteo Bocelli: I don’t know if I can say the name, but I will keep you in the surprise. I did a collaboration that I can't wait to share with all of you. It is a love song, and I can tell you that I will be recording the music video in India next week. Lots of exciting things coming up next month. WION: Music lovers in India are exposed to widely different genres of music. How do you plan on establishing yourself? Matteo Bocelli: Well, the project is quite homogenic. The sound of the project is not too far, we don’t have opera and the project of pop. In the last few years, I wrote about 70 songs and now is the moment to choose which one. It is not easy because you want to have an album of 70 songs but it's not possible. It is an exciting moment for me but not easy because you have to pick the song which you think is the right one for the historic moment we are having. Before the end of this year, my first album will be out. WION: Tell us about the musical composition you listen to on a repeat mode. Matteo Bocelli: I have always been very fascinated by Ed Sheeran. He has been able to reach and develop a lot of incredible things. The way he approached his live performance, I have never found anyone able to entertain 80,000 people in a stadium with just his voice and a guitar, it's truly impressive. The way he writes his lyrics, he is a storyteller, and I only listen to his songs. You can fall into what he writes, he has written some amazing melodies, he got the most successful ballads in music history. He is a phenomenon that happens once every hundred years. I also listen to Adele. She released her beautiful album. We have many amazing artists on this planet. WION: Lately what do you think about the entire cultural boycott that has happened in Russia? Matteo Bocelli: Well, I always try to send a message of love, hope and now, more than ever, I think we artists have to concentrate our energies to spread love and hope to people who are suffering at this moment. Even if I feel like a little drop of water, even if I'm just a little drop of water, we can be a big ocean of love in this world. We hope that this horrible situation ends very soon. Watch | Hitting the right notes: Matteo Bocelli speaks to WION ahead of his first trip to India

Exclusive: Italian composer Matteo Bocelli speaks to WION ahead of his first trip to India

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