There are days when Bollywood actress and model Nargis Fakhri questions her life choices.
She wonders if all her efforts to make it big in Bollywood are worth the struggle. Those feelings are compounded when she’s trying to memorise her Hindi dialogues.
Fakhri, born to a Pakistani father and a Czech mother and who grew up in the United States, did not learn Hindi in school. But the actress, who will be seen in this week’s release Banjo, realises that mastering the language will land her more acting jobs.
“I work so hard that I cry sometimes. I then ask myself if it’s worth it. I have to do more than anyone else because I have to spend hours practising. My work becomes triple the amount and it gets tough,” Fakhri said.
“Everything is always hard for me. But now, it’s double hard. It’s like someone asking you to go to China and pick up the Chinese language. It is a struggle. Not everyone is good at languages, science or math. It sucks.”
While it’s commendable that Fakhri is trying to fit in, the entertainment industry is not always forgiving to an actor’s flaws.
In Banjo, directed by Ravi Jadhav, Fakhri has to speak Hindi, English and Marathi dialogues. She plays a music student and DJ from the United States.
“Apparently, I am obsessed with music and I come to Mumbai to search for this musician who I have heard before and is just amazing. Through this amazing quest that I am on, I encounter interesting people in my adventure,” said Fakhri. The role of the elusive talented musician is played by Riteish Deshmukh. Banjo is the instrument that he plays.
“I was unfamiliar with what banjo was. In the US, it’s a small guitar or something. But then they told me that banjo in India stands for bulbul tarang [a string instrument]. I didn’t know that,” she added.
Fakhri, who made her movie debut with Rockstar in 2011 and received mixed reviews for her role, is artless in her responses. Ask her if she’s musically inclined and her response is ambivalent.
“I am not one of those people who love music so much that they are obsessed about songs or artists. If I like something, then I listen to it. But I can’t tell you who is my favourite artist … Most of the time I am listening to Hindi Sanskrit mantras or some random weird things,” Fakhri said.
Her yardstick to good music is simple: does that piece keep her occupied while she’s cleaning up her home (yes, she does her own vacuuming).
Fair enough. So how has her journey in Bollywood been?
An outsider to the highly clannish Bollywood industry, Fakhri doesn’t come from an acting dynasty. She was the discovery of director Imtiaz Ali who offered her Rockstar.
“I came here alone … No one has helped me and I am where I am solely because of myself. I am happy with my decisions though,” said Fakhri, adding that she doesn’t get involved in the politics or economics of Bollywood. She also admits that she doesn’t have too many friends in the industry. Learning Hindi takes up a lot more time than you think, she added.
During promotions for her last release, Dishoom, which was extensively filmed in Abu Dhabi, Fakhri was missing.
Rumours about her nursing a break-up were doing the rounds. But Fakhri maintains that she was unwell and claims that she feels good that she’s healthy enough to promote Banjo.
“I don’t know what a sabbatical is, I just live life. If I am feeling unwell, then I cannot participate [in Dishoom’s promotions]. But I am happy that I could participate for Banjo. So that is a good thing for me … The story of Banjo touched my heart and soul.”
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Banjo releases in the UAE on September 22.
