Himanshi Khuranna Reacts Strongly To Being Termed 'Overused'!
“Models in music videos are OVERUSED and that’s why we don’t cast them for movies!" That's all we keep hearing when we talking to any movie director or producer thesedays and that's their reason for getting faces from Bollywood to lead in the Punjabi films.
Though these pretty looking Bolly babes glamourise Pollywood with their Mumbaiya style but when we hear them speak, it's a misfit. Is it their fault?? Oh no it isn't, it's the fault of those who cast them.
Girls from Punjab who have shown their talent through music videos have and proved that they are not props anymore and one such example is the dove eyed Himanshi Khurrana. Hailing from Kiratpur Sahib and completing her studies in Ludhiana, Himanshi started her acting career working for many hit Punjabi video songs like Na Na Na ,Laden , Soch , Thokda Reha etc.Though she's a well known Punjabi face but after her (or a Punjabi model's) project (a Punjabi song) becomes a HIT, none thanks them for their efforts, rather the complete credit is sweeped by the singer or the music director. So much so, that they even lose out on films because of the obvious reason that they are already seen a lot on TV.
We thought of talking to Himanshi Khurana, who is a pretty sought after model in the industry and has done well for herself. Here's what she had to say:
Himanshi, we have seen you in movies such as Saada Haq and Leather Life. Both of them were pretty controversial. Why did you chose to debut in such projects?
Back then the trend was of comedy movies or movies based on 3 guys 3 girls in college. I chose to be different back then. I wanted to do good characterbased roles and chose these movies. Sadda Haq unfortunately got censored and there was a 40 minute cut in the movie. Most of my role was chopped and I could not do anything about it. And another was shot midway but we didn’t complete the shooting ( Do Bol ).
Your contemporaries are signing one movie after another, what are you waiting for?
Hahah! Is this some sort of competition ? I am surely not a part of any. I am being patient and signing projects which are best for me. I get numerous offers everyday including 4 to 5 songs to model for and a couple of movies to be a part of. .But I have different plans ahead and am patiently waiting for the right time and the right opportunity.
What are these 'different' plans?
Since a couple of years I have been working for my debut song. I have been rehearsing day and night for it and now is the time when I have reached the final stage.
We are just finishing and working on the final bits. I am currently too occupied because of that and it is a dream I have been working on since long. I can’t really compromise this dream for playing a lead in a movie, which might not even be written for me.
Please elaborate about the right time and right opportunity.
I know I don’t have the girl next door looks for a film and I won’t be able to pull off that character well which is why I am striving for a role that suits me, maybe something that's especially written keeping me in mind.
Talking about the right opportunity, Simi got it in Bambukat! Pakko's character was so apt for her as if the writer had specially written it for her. She was so good in it that no other actress could have pulled it off that well. Ammy got the right opportunity with Angrej, not like he didn’t have movie offers before but he chose something that suited him well. I am waiting for a similar kind of opportunity.
8 years in the industry and many popular music videos, what do you have to say when people don’t recognize models?
Thank you for bringing this up!
Yes, nobody recognizes the model in the song. The role of a model has changed over the years. She is no more just a pretty face who dances behind the singer, she is much more than that. We act in the song, we take it to another level and you’ll agree with me on this. But when it comes to giving us credits, no one does that!
Neither do we have a nomination category in the award functions nor do the teams show gratitude towards us for making their videos a hit. It has happened with me when Gallan Mithiyaan got so many awards and I surely was disappointed.
There are a lot of makers in the industry who say that models are overused, what's your take on that ?
Overused! Yes heard that word a zillion times. I would certainly want to give the example of Deepika Padukone here. When she did Om Shanti Om, she had already done calendar shoots and was a known model in the ad world. Was she overused?
"There Couldn't Have Been A Better Choice Than Sunanda For This Role!" - Pankaj Batra
After Om Shanti Om her performances weren’t that great but today she stands being the best actress Bollywood has. Is she overused?
Is any maker thinking this way in Bollywood?
She is being cast because of her work and also that over the years she has gathered a lot of fan following who would want to watch the movie only for her. How can someone be overused? Over the years we models work and have a fan bunch who appreciate us, want us to do movies and would walk into the theatre only for us but how can such a thing happen if the only illogical thought our makers have is that we models are OVERUSED!
When a movie is released a fan bunch goes for the hero, some go because they love the actress and others find the subject interesting but no one thinks really thinks that the maker has cast an overused actress!
I pretty don’t get the concept of 'fresh and overused'!
Why are you changing your zone from a model to singer?
This is undoubtedly a singer oriented industry. Singers will be welcomed in the industry any day but when it comes to us, we are asked 100 questions and we have to work according to their terms when we are working in a movie. I am blessed with a voice and I want to show people just that. Maybe the outlook and things change when people see me as a singer.
Well, the reality is quite harsh but this is about the industry. We can call it a male–dominated or a singer dominated industry but yes not everyone gets the fruits or rewards of their hardwork.
