In May 2016, YRF casting director Shanoo Sharma spotted a pretty, petite girl while walking to the washroom at a coffee shop in Andheri, Mumbai. There was something about the girl that caught her eye. A little more than a year later, Anya Singh is making her debut in director Habib Faisal’s film Qaidi Band, produced by Yash Raj Films. The film that also launches Kapoor scion Aadar Jain releases this Friday. On the surface, Anya’s journey to Bollywood might seem like the stuff of fairy tales, but the debutante believes she’s paid her dues. During a chat at YRF Studio in Mumbai’s Andheri, Anya shared with t2 her journey from Delhi to Mumbai and why she wishes she was cooler around Ranveer Singh!
The only thing that one knows about you is that you are a Delhi girl. We want to know more!
(Laughs) I was born in London. We lived in Chandigarh for a bit and then in Delhi. My nana was in the Army and naani ran a school. My dad is a doctor and mom has always worked. So I come from a very simple family. I went to boarding school in Ajmer (Mayo College Girls’ School) and that experience has taught me a lot. Boarding school taught me how to be independent. People ask me what it’s like to live alone in Mumbai and I am more than okay with it. When I was in school, we could only talk to our parents once a week for seven minutes because everyone was waiting. After school, I went back to Delhi and joined Sri Venkateswara College and worked with a wedding planner for a bit. At some point I decided that it’s time to follow my dream so I came to Bombay.
What is your earliest memory of the movies?
The first movie I saw on the big screen was Dil To Pagal Hai (produced by YRF). I was too young to understand the story but I remember really enjoying the song and dance part of it. I think Hindi music really drew me towards films. Growing up, I didn’t have the courage to tell people that I wanted to become an actress. I thought I’d be looked down upon and people would tell me to get educated. It took a lot of courage to actually tell my family and friends that this is what I wanted to do.
Did you act in school?
Yeah. I did a lot of theatre in school. I was a part of the English dramatics team and the school band. Yes, I sing as well. When I came on this film, Habib Sir, in one of the earliest rounds of auditions, asked me to sing. I sang Oh oh jaane jaana... it’s one of my all-time favourite songs.
When did you know that you wanted to act?
I remember telling my friends when I was in grade 12. That’s the time when everyone’s deciding what they want to do with their life and pick subjects accordingly. I had friends who wanted to be fashion journalists and lawyers and when I told them that I wanted to act, they were very encouraging.
What about your parents?
When I told my mother, her first reaction was, ‘First finish your studies’. She probably thought it was a passing phase. When I graduated, I asked her again and I guess that’s when she realised that I was very serious about pursuing this career. I told her that if she didn’t let me follow my heart, I’ll always resent her for not letting me at least try. My family has taught me how to deal with failures, so I was prepared to not succeed but I wanted to at least try.
When she understood, she gave me a year in Mumbai to give this a shot. It’s really funny but in the beginning of that year, there were times when I’d tell her that maybe I wasn’t meant for this and she would encourage me. She didn’t let me give up. It felt nice that she believed in me.
What was it like when you moved to Mumbai? Did you have a gameplan?
Not really. I knew no one when I moved here in December 2015. It was really hard. Everything is so uncertain. You could have five days of no auditions and then multiple in one day. There were days when I’d be at home wondering what to do with myself. I questioned my decision and my talent all the time. I cried myself to sleep.
Didn’t you get this film within six months of moving to Mumbai?
Yeah. July 6, 2016 is when I got the film.
That was quick!
Touchwood! A lot of people say that I didn’t have to struggle. Everyone struggles at different points in their life. I have struggled enough.
Do you remember the moment when you were told that you are doing this movie?
No. I don’t think I could process the fact that my dream was becoming a reality. I think I zoned out! Once I left Adi Sir’s (Aditya Chopra) office, I went to the Gurdwara and then I FaceTimed with my grandparents. I wanted them to be the first people I told. It was while talking to them that it finally hit me!
Considering you always knew that you wanted to act, why didn’t you study films or acting?
I come from a very simple background. My mother made it very clear that she didn’t have the finances for acting classes. She preferred to spend that money on my formal education.
What was it like to perform for the camera?
I knew nothing when I started. If I had assisted on a film or even done an acting workshop, I would have known something at least! Habib Sir is my school and college of acting. I had to learn to be uninhibited in front of the camera and to forget about being Anya and to become the character. And then I had to understand what it meant to live behind bars. It’s a difficult space to be in. Habib Sir would lock us up in the jail cell for hours.
What?!
It really helped me understand how to play an undertrial. You have nothing… no phone or anything and it makes you think what kind of life is that. I was weeping by the end of the day. It was very overwhelming.
This was your first experience on a film set. Was there anything about the process of making a film that surprised you?
I always thought in action sequences, you pretend to hit the other person. I didn’t know that you have to make contact but not with force. When we were doing the action for this film, I didn’t want to hit the other girl. Habib Sir had to remind me that her character had to fight mine, so I had to fight back.
You’ve been a part of YRF for a little more than a year now. Have you had a starstruck moment yet?
Oh. My. Gawd... yes! I met Ranveer Singh just before our launch press conference last month. I was in my make-up room and I was told that someone wants to meet me. My eye make-up was going on, so my eyes were shut. I opened them and there was Ranveer Singh in front of me! I didn’t know what to do. I got up and then sat down again. I tried talking to him but I don’t think I made sense. I felt so stupid later... I wish I was cooler!
Have you seen yourself on screen yet?
Yeah, and it’s very weird. When I started dubbing, I could look at everyone in a scene but myself! (Laughs) I really enjoyed seeing the trailer. I am curious to see myself on the big screen.
Karishma Upadhyay
