Ira Dubey play Alia Bhatt’s best friend in Dear Zindagi. Here’s why she relates to the role
The 32-year-old actress, Ira Dubey, who played Sonam Kapoor’s best friend in the 2010 film, Aisha, is set to play Alia Bhatt’s bestie in Dear Zindagi, starring Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan. But this time, she will be a more sorted, mature working woman rather than a spoilt socialite. “English Vinglish was one of the most sincere and heartwarming films I have seen, which is why I immediately said yes to Gauri Shinde when she approached me. I felt that working with her and a pair like Shah Rukh and Alia will be exciting, so you can expect a very fresh, feel-good story,” says the Delhi-born actress.
A lesson to learn
Talking about the movie and her role, Dubey tells us that it is about finding yourself, about coming to terms with who we really are, be it through a romantic relationship, friendship or family. “The film is based in Mumbai, in a film industry. I play Fatima, who is a costume designer, and Alia is a cinematographer,” says the M Cream actress. Dubey adds that she relates with the character a lot mostly because it is based in the film industry and Fatima is a strong working woman who, although married to a software engineer, knows how to manage her professional and personal life. “I love the fact that she is a working woman, I love the fact that she is very happily married and a big advocate of marriage and love. I like the fact that she is a stable and grounded woman and she is passionate about what she does,” shares Dubey.
Road ahead
Dubey, who started her career as a theatre artiste, tells us that she has two productions, 9 Parts Desire, a solo play about the plight of Iraqi women and A Doll’s House, based on the 1973 movie of the same name, where she plays the lead character, Nora Helmer. She has been travelling across India for the two plays and shares that the former is coming to Bengaluru on November 20 and she hopes that Chennai is next. “Playing Nora Helmer is one of the most challenging roles of my career. I am also doing an independent film with Nikhil Allug (of The Maya Tape fame) called Shikara which is a social thriller,” signs off Dubey.
Dear Zindagi releases on November 25.