When Salman Khan serenaded her in Tere Mast Mast Do Nain in Dabangg, he was the envy of every man who fell in love at first sight with the doe-eyed Sonakshi Sinha. The film went on to fetch her the best female debut actor award, and she became famous as a bubbly, chirpy 20-something sans any attitude and with the coolness of ‘accept me as I am’.

This very attribute got her tomboyish roles in films like Rowdy Rathore, Son of Sardar, Dabangg 2, Himmatwala, R. Rajkumar, Bullet Raja etc, till the film Lootera which established her as a talented actor. Her role of a TB-afflicted girl who is cheated in love also landed her a nomination for best actor. Now she adds another feather to her cap — singing her way into hearts and success with the single, Aaj Mood Ishqholic Hai.

A recent Wikipedia entry describes you as ‘an Indian rapper, singer and actress’. How would you like it to be — an actor who can sing or a singer who can also act?


Sonakshi Sinha in conversation with Surekha Kadapa-Bose


I would like to be known as an actor who is multitalented. Why just stop at singing? I can dance, sketch, design and do so much more. Wait and I’ll bring all my talents to the fore.

How have critics and fans reacted to your debut song Aaj Mood Ishqholic Hai and how did you prepare for it? As a fashion design graduate who worked as a costume designer before taking up acting, when did music happen?

So far I’ve got great response from fans as well as colleagues. They have showed tremendous support on Twitter, especially. It’s very sweet of them and I’m really touched. It’s been my childhood dream to record an album and these are just baby steps towards it. There was no preparation as such. When one works with a talented team like T-series, Meet brothers and lyricist Kumaar, you are bound to come up with a great product. We recorded the song in just two days. 

From Dabangg to playing a Raw agent in Force 2, it’s been five long years. How have you as an actor and an individual changed during this time? You came across as a very confident individual in your debut film.

I have always been confident about my capabilities. These five years have been a tremendous learning experience. Whatever I know about my profession is through experience and I’m truly thankful. As a person, I don’t think I have changed much, if anything I have only become more relaxed and calm.

Are you still the young daughter of Shatrughan Sinha or has the industry started accepting you for yourself?

They accepted me as Sonakshi Sinha from my very first film! I have been lucky that I was able to step out from the shadow of a great actor like my father early on in my career. Now people go up to my father and say ‘you’re Sonakshi Sinha’s father’ and that makes him so proud.

Presented with a choice of doing either Dabangg 3 or Lootera 2, which would you choose? Which was more satisfying — the critical acclaim you got for Lootera or the commercial success of your films with Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar?

Well my mind would say Lootera 2 but heart would be inclined towards Dabangg 3. So I’ll have to figure a way of convincing one of them to adjust dates, I’m sure they also wouldn’t want to make these projects without me. Any form of appreciation is more than welcome, be it reaching out to the masses with successful commercial films, or your performance in a film like Lootera still being spoken about.

Both critical acclaim and box office success have their importance in an actor’s career there has to be a fine balance between both.

Your Force 2 and Akira are releasing this year. Did you train for the action scenes? Which genre is easier — action or romance?

I had to go through intensive training for Akira. I trained for two months so by the time Force 2 got finalised and went on floors I was pretty much trained. I’ve always been athletic which made things easy. Each genre has its challenges but the wear and tear you go through while shooting for an action film is risky. I hurt myself several times during the filming of Akira and while we were shooting Force 2, John (Abraham) injured himself. So action is definitely not easy. The rest depends on what the script demands.


“I have been lucky that I was able to step out from the shadow of a great actor like my father early on in my career. Now people go up to my father and say ‘you’re Sonakshi Sinha’s father’ and that makes him so proud.”


Except for Ranveer (Singh) and Shahid (Kapoor), you have been working with men who are considerably older than you. Does the equation change with older actors? With whom do you enjoy working more, the younger lot or the older one?

I got along easily with all my co-stars from Salman, Akshay, Ajay, Imran, Ranveer, Shahid, Arjun and now John.  I am glad I got to work with a good mix of seniors and juniors — the seniors guided me well and as for the younger lot, we were sailing in the same boat so we helped each other out. At the end of the day what matters is working with a good actor, age is irrelevant.

Do you feel that in male-dominated Indian films women don’t get their due even though no film is complete without them? It was the case 40 years ago when your father acted in films and is the same even today. 

I think it’s changing slowly yet steadily. There are many women-centric films being made these days and the audiences are accepting it. Actors like Vidya, Priyanka, Kangana and Deepika have delivered some amazing performances and proved that an actress can carry a film on her shoulders. All of us need to encourage and support this change.

Fashion designing, acting, singing … what’s next? Politics or continue with acting as long as the offers continue to pour in? Ten years down the line, will we see Sonakshi in the Indian Parliament?

I don’t have the aptitude for politics. But I would love to act for as long as I can. I love entertaining people.

When is marriage happening? We are seeing so many breakups in the film industry? Has it shaken your belief in the institution of marriage?

It hasn’t shaken my belief at all! I think marriage depends on how committed the two individuals involved in it are. It has nothing to do with this (film) industry or any other industry. It purely depends on how strong the nuptial bond is. Some people just grow out of each other and that’s nobody’s fault. And then there are some people who spend a lifetime together. I always try and take in the positive side of things.

If given the chance would you like to become a Meena Kumari, Waheeda Rehman or a Madhubala?

I would like to remain Sonakshi Sinha, and hopefully someday be listed in such an illustrious list.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, February 14th, 2016

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