Don’t belong to any camp in Bollywood, says Delhi girl Flora Saini

Always look for good, decent roles though not averse to exposing

Bollywood actress Flora Saini is starring in Subhash Ghai’s upcoming comedy-mystery “36 Farm House”, premier of which is scheduled for January 21 at Zee5. “36 Farmhouse” is a unique family drama where all the characters can be easily found in every Indian family. The film is highly relatable and can surely be enjoyed by all age groups.

In an interview with THE DELHI CROWN, Flora Saini, a Delhi girl, says she plays a role of a ‘bahu’ who is strong enough to know her rights when it comes to family property matters.

Talking about her 20-year long film career, Flora says films happened to her by chance, and not by choice…!

Excerpts from the interview –

Q: Tell us about life prior to taking up films.

Ans: I was brought up in Delhi and did most of my education there. I studied up to 12th standard at the Army Public School at Dhaula Kuan. “Chanakya” was the best place for us to hang out in those days. I miss my days in Delhi quite a lot.

I come from a defence background as my dad was into Indian Army. My parents now live in Gurugram. My mother has been a source of strength and support all through my film career. She is around most of the time on sets even when I am doing intimate scenes as per the films’ script and demand.

Q: How did the idea of taking up films as a career strike you ?

Ans: I am a Bollywood actor by chance and not by choice…! After completing my 12th from Delhi my family had shifted to Kolkata. I was quite fat/bulky those days and by chance took to ramp walking. It was just a pass time, but then I realised that my body wasn’t fit for the fashion world, so I cut down my weight so as to fit-in the film world. And soon I began winning laurels at the ramp…!

Gradually my parents advised me that if I wished to find myself in the film-world I must take formal professional training. And, as they say, the rest is history…! I have set certain standards for myself and don’t believe in exposing myself unjustifiably.

Q: You have acted in south Indian films. How could you take up Tollywood films as language is a big barrier for north Indian actors ?

Ans: While I was doing shoots in Kolkata, a film offer came up to me for a Telugu film and I accepted it. In the beginning it was quite tough, but then I applied that cramming up technique which we used to do in school days while learning long answers….!

I had Sanskrit subject up till my Matriculation, so understanding and speaking Telugu happened a bit easy as a lot many Telugu words are very similar to Sanskrit.

Q: What’s the Laxman Rakha you have set for yourself when it comes to exposing in films ?

Ans: Frankly speaking I am not averse to exposing myself if it’s a film script’s demand. But, yes, at any cost I can’t go topless, or do unnecessary exposure. At times I rejected roles like playing a prostitute. Yes, I have done bold roles in various films, but then you have so many techniques these days in film-making, where affects are put and it appears (to the viewers) that actresses haven’t worn anything, but actually it’s not. To viewers it appears that an actress didn’t wear anything in a particular scene but we wear properly actually while doing those scenes.