Aishwarya Rai bachchan as Sofia in Guzaarish

On being Bhansali’s girl: A Sanjay Leela Bhansali film speaks volumes... it’s a statement in itself. I may be accused of bias but you can ask everyone from the cinematographer to the choreographer to the technical crew and they will tell you what creative pleasure he gives everyone. The proof of my fondness for him is the work I have done with him. Both Nandini in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Parvati in Devdas are very memorable for me. Especially Parvati, which was not only impactful here but made me known across the world. Till today, that character remains my strongest identity.

On agreeing to do Guzaarish: I said ‘yes’ to the film even before Sanjay narrated the film to me. Of course, after all these years there is a great friendship and a wonderful working relationship with him. So I knew that when he would come to me with a film, it would be meaningful. The screen time didn’t matter. It was enough for me that Sanjay was making it. I think I have proved in my choice of films in recent years that I have gone beyond what is seen as usual grounds for accepting a film. What matters is how much I am contributing to the film as a character. I had chosen Iruvar as my first film because I always wanted to be seen as a character and not as a heroine.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at Fame (South City) on Sunday afternoon. Picture by Aranya Sen

On being Sofia D’Souza: I think Sofia is a first for me... I have never played a character with such emotional depth. She is a departure from all the characters that I have played till now. She is the caregiver of Ethan (Hrithik Roshan), who is a quadriplegic. She is his nurse. When you first discover her, she comes across as very serious, someone who is not smiling all the time. Then through the narrative you will learn why. Sofia has been with Ethan for 12 years and that is almost like becoming family. And as a nurse of a quadriplegic, she is actually living the life of the patient. So, it’s not an easy life for her, living his life on a daily basis. There is immense sacrifice involved. And therefore their love story goes to another level. It’s unconditional loving and giving. It will be unfair, though, to compare Sofia with Nandini and Paro. It will be unfair to Sanjay the filmmaker.

On the use of physical disability in Bollywood films: It’s a co-incidence that Sanjay has used disability earlier in Khamoshi (deaf-and-mute) and Black (blindness and Alzheimer’s) and that other directors have been using diseases (Paa and My Name is Khan). It is unfair to generalise. These are exciting times in cinema and filmmakers are creative people. And audiences are encouraging the filmmakers to go forth and explore different subjects. Also, the exhibition network has become so good (multiplex chains), that producers can now back filmmakers when they are trying their hands at different subjects. So, one should not try and generalise the subjects and cripple creativity in any way.

On her pairing with Hrithik Roshan: It’s a wonderful co-incidence that Guzaarish is my third film with Sanjay and also my third film with Hrithik. Our pairing was a huge success in Dhoom:2 and Jodhaa Akbar. And we used to discuss how we got two movies which were diametrically opposite to each other in terms of spectrum and genre. Dhoom:2 was this huge commercial entertainer while Jodhaa Akbar was a chapter from history that was appreciated by everyone. And now there’s Guzaarish. Of course, it excited us as co-actors. It’s again so different from our previous two films. All the three love stories are so unique. It rarely happens in two actors’ lives when they get to do three such different films back to back. But the chemistry is all dependant on the screenplay, the script. If that moment is there on paper and the director has thought of it, then all we need to do is infuse life into those characters. When the audience experiences that moment on screen, they look at it as magic, as chemistry. So it is always the case of chemistry between characters and not actors.

Aishwarya with Hrithik Roshan in Guzaarish

On the smoking controversy: The smoking is there for barely a moment in the film. And that too, I start coughing as soon as I take a drag. It’s not that I am puffing away to glory. I don’t play a smoker in the film. As far as I know, it (the scene) has not been removed. See, Sofia is the character who brings colour to the life of Ethan in some way. Every day she’s got colour on her. Apart from the dark red lipstick she wears, she also wears these curio pieces. She even does her own embroidery. There are scenes which suggest that and we even see her doing it in the background. And there’s a lot of thought that has gone into the character. Sanjay has a very keen eye... he is a visual genius. He is into textiles, colours, music... his artistry makes Sofia a completely unique character.

On the music of Guzaarish: Having known Sanjay for many years, I knew that he was always musically inclined. He sings, he dances, he composes. But it was only later that I realised why he chose to be a composer with this particular film. See the subject of Guzaarish is very sensitive (of a man demanding to die) and it is a very brave film. So Sanjay would have best understood the music of such a sensitive film. Because for a film like this, you have to do the music cinematically and not in a conventional way. That’s why I think it’s a wonderful decision. If you listen to the songs, you will know why.... I have no particular favourites. When I heard Udi, I liked it the most. Then I heard Dhundhli and I loved it. Then came Tera zikr and Guzaarish. Sau gram zindagi is again such a great song. All of them are my favourites. It’s very difficult to pick one.

On her guzaarish: As an actor I can only do hard work. None of us knows what makes a film work. Otherwise we would have all made only successful films. You can only look back at the films that didn’t work and then work that much harder. I hope our work in Guzaarish is appreciated. Sofia is special to me... a character very internalised. I don’t have pages and pages of dialogue... she is not someone who wears her emotions on her sleeve. There are lots of silences. Really, I have never essayed a character so deeply sensitive before. I hope Sofia can be impactful and memorable on her own.