We were introduced to her in Salman Khan’s forgettable Veer, where she played a princess. Since then, Zarine Khan has suffered comparisons to Katrina Kaif, and criticism for the extra pounds she put on. But the actress went on to star at fashion weeks and in the item number, Character Dheela, in Salman Khan’s Ready. Now Zarine Khan will prove if she has good comic timing with her latest, Sajid Khan’s comedy, Housefull 2.
One of the guys
Claiming that Housefull 2 is funnier than the 2010 original, Zarine says, “More than people having expectations, I have a lot of expectations from this movie. Character Dheela was a ray of hope for me. The role resembles me in real life, a cheerful girl. ‘‘Stars like John Abraham, Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ritesh Deshmukh and Asin on the sets must have made for some memorable moments and the 24-year-old actress agrees. “I did not realise when shooting began and when it ended. I had one sequence with all the guys in the movie and that entire sequence I was treated like a guy,” admits Zarine, who managed a few firsts during the shoot - one of them being snorkelling in the Gulf of Tadjoura and the Ghoubbet in Africa.
Ready for criticism
While Zarine is grateful that she did not have to struggle for roles, she admits it has taken same time for the audience to accept her. ‘‘I faced a lot of criticism, especially for my weight. I had to put on some 10 kilos just for the role in Veer. Now I want to prove myself,” says the Mumbai girl. As for the Katrina tag, she offers, “Even before my movie released, people spread rumours about me being a Katrina Kaif look alike. It was very annoying and I found it difficult to get out of my house. I did not do anything wrong and I was disappointed for being viewed that way. It was like people had some personal grudge against me. That said, I know my every step is going to be critically analysed and I take positive criticism well.”
Housefull 2 teammates
I did not get to interact a lot with John Abraham, but from what I noticed, he is humble and dedicated. As for Akshay Kumar, he is a kid at heart. He is my senior but he was amazing to work with. Asin mostly kept to herself and seemed very quiet. As for Ritesh Deshmukh,we are paired in the movie and I adore him. He treats me like one of his guy friends.