Soha Ali Khan at hhi on friday. Picture by Aranya Sen

Many Bolly stars claim to have come home when they come to Calcutta. Most do not mean it. You cannot say the same about Soha Ali Khan, who has taken more flights from BOM to CCU than most of her Mumbai colleagues, thanks to her family and films (Iti Srikanta and Antarmahal). On Friday, Soha was back in town — pretty in embroidered kurti and jeans — this time to talk about a Hindi film. Tum Mile releases this Friday and this is what the film’s leading lady had to say about the underwater experience and her kiss-ster co-star...

Did you sign Tum Mile because it was a film about the Mumbai flooding or because it was a romantic film opposite Emraan Hashmi?

Tum Mile is very much a love story. It has the sub-plot of a flood. But a lot of the film deals with the relationship between Akshay and Sanjana. They are a couple who had problems in their relationship. When the film opens, they meet again on a plane, by coincidence, on the day of the flood. And how they are forced to spend the whole day together. Again, the relationship shown in the film is a very new-age relationship. I play a girl who is grounded in traditional values but there’s a sense of independence and ambition which she pursues.

What were you doing on July 26, 2005, the day Mumbai was flooded?

I was caught in the floods actually. I was driving through town. The water came into the car and the car stopped. I remember the car going from side to side because there was so much water. I was a little worried then. I walked for many hours... the power went out... the phone stopped working. Finally I got home about 40 hours later! I spent the night at some stranger’s house in Bandra. I lost one chappal. It was a horrific night. I was never scared for my life but I was definitely worried.

It couldn’t have been the same feeling when the entire thing was recreated on the sets?

Certain things were more scary! Like electrocution... there were lights everywhere and there was water. And one person was actually electrocuted and that was Emraan Hashmi. Mildly electrocuted. And he has never been quite the same again! Apart from that it was amazing that nobody got hurt. I was also worried about hygiene because it was dirty water. And though they claimed that they filtered the water everyday, I think they stopped doing that after the second day.

There were 350 junior artistes in that water and on the mike you have the director telling them not to pee in the water! So you can imagine the conditions we were working in. And my height is, of course, less than others. So I was ingesting a lot of that water. I had taken all the injections beforehand.

How did you motivate yourself in a situation like that?

It was very difficult. You just count the days and hours... it was the worst film set I have ever been on. And I would never go back to a set like that. If now they want me to go and reshoot a scene, I just cannot.

What was it like working with Vishesh Films because they have their own little pocket in the industry?

It feels like a family. It also feels like people who are very committed to filmmaking. There’s also a certain value, a certain identity that sets it apart from other films. What’s most exciting for me is that they make films for female actors. The roles are equal, if not more powerful than the male actors. That’s a rarity in our industry.

If you were to bump into your ex, like your character does in the film, what would you do?

I imagine that would be very difficult. It depends on how you left that relationship. In the film, Akshay and Sanjana do not leave it very well. So, there’s a certain lack of closure and there are things unsaid. Me personally, I think I would burst into tears and choose not to be in that situation. But they are, of course, forced into that situation because of the flood.

Is it difficult to be an Emraan Hashmi heroine?

I mean there are lots of apprehensions when you sign a film with Emraan Hashmi. For obvious reasons. Which is why maybe only newer actresses relent. I am not new. A lot of people were like, “You sure you want to sign an Emraan Hashmi film? You know what that means... And because maybe you did the [dare bare] cover of Maxim that you got this offer.”

I was a little concerned about the fact that we do very different films, Emraan and I. We cater to very different audiences. That was also very exciting to me because it would be the blending of two kinds of cinema. We got on really well. For a film physically so demanding you need to be with somebody who has a sense of humour and is relaxed. Also, the emotional intimacy in the film, not the physical intimacy, works really well.

But you did do what you have to do in an Emraan Hashmi film!

(Laughs) I was, of course, apprehensive about that. But I had done films like Antarmahal. And this in comparison to Antarmahal is totally tame. Also I think he is more concerned than me. He tries to change his image with every film. Our chemistry is very good in the film and so the kiss almost doesn’t register here because it seems so natural. It’s really not a big deal. And I can say it’s not like his other kisses, which I saw more recently and I was like shocked. This one is more my kind of kiss than Emraan’s kind of kiss!

Finally, you have to shoot with Shiney Ahuja to finish Accident. Will it be easy?

Obviously not the most ideal setting for a film. Also, it’s been over three months. So, I am worried about my own character graph. I have to be professional. I have no idea what he has gone through in this period but I imagine it must have been difficult. Guilty or not is really not for us to decide.

PDG

How does Soha compare with mother Sharmila? Tell t2@abpmail.com