Debutante Alaya Furniturewala has everything one can dream of—a break in Bollywood opposite Saif Ali Khan and Tabu in the upcoming film Jawaani Jaaneman, a degree in acting from New York Film Academy and the genes of grandfather and actor Kabir Bedi, grandmother and dancer Protima Bedi and her mother Pooja Bedi. Despite her impressive lineage, the actor says she landed her first film through auditions.
“I belong to a family of actors but that only got me the privilege of a meeting and not the movie itself.
I am thankful to my grandfather and my mom that I got to meet people but things just ended in meetings. I’d made a show reel of my work from my acting classes. Most people saw it and said I had great potential but nothing went forward,” says Alaya.
She goes on to talk about her rejections and says, “It’s dejecting and can literally bog you down. The support of my family and friends made me strong. I was always hopeful that someday I would make it. At every audition I got a standard reply: you’re too young or not fit for the role. I kept going back because I realised that the auditions were practice grounds. They were preparing me to face the camera.”
The 22-year-old, however, wanted to take up direction before deciding to become an actor. “Initially, I attended New York University for a course in direction but soon after I realised I wanted to act. I came back and told my mom, and then went back and joined an acting course. In Mumbai, I did additional acting and dance classes. I also trained in mixed martial arts. The acting course in New York gave me confidence in basic skills. The real learning took place here in Mumbai. I trained under Ritesh Kant for acting. I learned dancing with Dimple Kotecha and Utkarsh Chaturvedi and gymnastics under Kuldeep Shashi.”
Despite all the training, Alaya admits to have learned how to be comfortable in front of the camera from her mother. “She’s so cool in front of the camera. It’s what I have picked up from her. I have watched her in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Vishkanya and Lootere. My grandfather advises me on dos and don’ts in front of the camera. I have showed him my videos and taken his opinion. I am very attached to him. I have loved his series such as Sandokan and films like Khoon Bhari Maang, Kites and Mohenjodaro. They have largely influenced my life. Women come and tell me that my grandfather is hot and men call my mom hot. I hear it all the time,” she laughs.
Alaya also shares that her mother did not come on the sets or to any of her photoshoots. “I like my independence when I am working. So, she watched the trailer the day it was released like everyone else. As usual, she was very emotional and so was I.” Speaking about her grandmother, the popular danseuse Protima Bedi, the actor says, “Unfortunately, I never got to see her. She passed away when I was just one. But I’ve heard so much about her from my mother. I wear a ring which she had gifted my mom. My mom passed it on to me after I passed out of the academy. I haven’t taken it off since then.”
On facing competition from her contemporaries at work, the debutante says, “Everyone works hard in Bollywood. You just can’t get complacent here. But the kind of competition we face is positive. I have a lot of respect for them. In fact, I have a long wish list of actors and directors who I want to work with. There’s Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Kartik Aaryan, Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana and directors such as Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap to name a few.”