Interview: Ayesha Takia
By: Jai Rajendrakumar
She may only be 23 years old, but Ayesha Takia believes she has a good handle on things. After all, not only is she playing the lead role in what will probably be one of the most promising films to come out of Bollywood this year, but the just-married actress is apparently ready to move on from the cinematic arts and pursue other potentially fruitful ventures.
While she came short of calling it a career, the young actress believes she has already figured out her calling in Bollywood and is well-positioned to pick roles ideal to her style and personality. Specifically, Ayesha said, in a recent interview with the Hindustan Times, she hopes to land roles in films with deep meaning, just like she did with Paathshaala.
“I took a break and it put things in order. Now I am open to doing only one or two meaningful movies a year. I’m open to meaningful cinema,” she candidly said in her interview with the Indian-based Hindustan Times. “I don’t want to stand in the back of a scene and look pretty. I also didn’t want to do the glam roles anymore. I want to act.”
The epiphany may have very well been inspired by her most recent performance in Paathshaala, which opened on April 16th and is now playing worldwide. A film that may aptly be labeled as a social commentary on the educational system falling short of properly serving the Indian youth, Paathshaala can easily be considered one of the meatiest films to come out of Bollywood this year.
It was not too long after she completed filming her role in Paathshaala that Ayesha decided to be much more selective of the roles she decided to take on in the future.
Of course, it also helps to get married at around that same time. With her long-time boyfriend-turned-husband presenting several possible business opportunities in the hotel space, Ayesha found a new passion worth dedicating her full energy too while waiting it out on the acting front.
“Ever since I was a little girl, all I have wanted to do was act. Movies happened and life was set,” she described in her interview, adding everything changed for the better after she met “The One” and tied the knot. “After I got married, my eyes opened and I found myself translating the same passion into the hotel line. I truly feel that I’ve grown up, which is why I want to do movies that I am aiming for.”
Her personal growth and epiphany is what gives Ayesha security that she made the right decision pursuing business interests while also keeping her career in the cinematic arts active. To that end, she provided some insight as to where she is going now, especially considering the only other film she had committed to after Paathshaala, the Jaya Bachchan production of Aap Ke Liye Hai Hum, was put on hold.
“I am so happy I took this break from movies. (My husband) and I are working on so many projects. We have become business partners and are currently designing this boutique hotel in Goa called Basilico House. We’re just taking the Basilico brand further,” she explained. “I have been involved in the designing of the hotel, and I have all these ideas about the hospitality of the hotel. We are also setting up chic coffee shops across Mumbai called Chai Coffee, and the first one will open in Andheri in the next six months. I have been sitting in boardroom meetings and breaking my head over interiors and design decisions.”
Indeed, it appears as if Ayesha has a full plate of business activities, leaving next to no room for acting. Then again, at age 23, the actress-turned-entrepreneur still has more than enough life in front of her to experience additional epiphanies. Therefore, while she is pondering committing to just one or two films here or there for the time being, there may come a point in the not-too-distant future where she finds herself appearing in several productions in a given year.
Still, one must appreciate the maturity demonstrated by the advice she shared with the press about how actors should also be aware of opportunities beyond film, as there is never a guarantee that studios and production companies will always have roles specifically tailored for each actor on a consistent basis.
“I think actors should keep their minds vigilant and open all the time. You should use the opportunities from the name you’ve created to do many other things besides acting,” she humbly told the Hindustan Times. “Heroes have a longer shelf-life than actresses do. At the end of the day, actresses make less money and have a smaller share of the limelight. I always knew I wanted to do things other than acting.”
No doubt Ayesha has already done her part in playing a hero by taking on a substantive role in a film tackling a key issue affecting millions of India’s youth on a daily basis. While the actress will probably be searching for more ways to make a difference in the lives of many, Ayesha is probably just as proud to have been a significant part of Paathshaala, which just opened this weekend and is now playing worldwide.
