Nora Fatehi Ali Khan. A film star's untold Story.

 NORA FATEHI ALI KHAN UNTOLD STORY

This being said to me "Listen there's a formula in this industry don't break the formula don't do songs don't do South songs don't do reality shows don't do TV you do any of this stuff you're over pack your bags go back to your country like that"

 

It's always just bullying yeah come here and see her Hindi calling everybody to come to look like I'm some circus you know what I mean at that time I was at you know what Nora you're sacrificing 20 lakhs for a bigger picture So I'm just like I have to make it. I have to make it She's already danced her way to your hearts but with her performance in Batla House she's expected and planning to take you by a sweet surprise Welcoming Nora Fateh in a conversation with Pink Villa Thank you Nayandeep. I just know your name yeah.

I've been good of course. I am overwhelmed with the response I'm getting for Saki. Yeah you know not today you've created a space of your own um that's primarily happened right after Dilbar let's start with where you started you know the humble beginnings that you come from you never had a godfather in the industry what is difficult the first few years. 

It still is difficult today some people don't know I am from Canada so I came from Toronto with the idea of being able to kind of work in the entertainment industry here so I came with via an agency and you know life for foreigners in India through agencies is very difficult. We go through a lot and people don't know you know we go through they take our money they don't give us our money. That's happened to you. Yeah, it's happened to me I've lost like.

 I remember my first agency which I came from Canada to India that agency was aggressive with their models in terms of behavior and stuff and I didn't feel like I was being guided the right way with them so I wanted to leave them so to leave they're like okay so we're not gonna give you your money. And that was how much money. That was at that time 20 Lakhs yeah which I had made from my first-ever ad campaign.

I did with Dove that was like my first ever opportunity in front of the camera in a commercial you know acting and doing all that and I did a couple of commercials after Dove I did one with Virat Kohli for Toyota I did one for Parachute Body Lotion so I was a face for a lot of brands when I came to India initially which is how I knew that I had a knack for being in front of a camera unfortunately because I wanted to leave that agency to pursue better management I had to sacrifice at that time.

 I was at you know what Nora you're sacrificing 20 lakhs for a bigger picture you know what I mean and it hurt at that time for me but I saw a lot of other girls in my situation who had to go through the same thing who would leave India after their contract is done and they would never get their money.

I remember initially when I first came you know I had to share an apartment with a lot of girls, yeah and you don't you're not told that you know when you're coming from Canada to India as a model they don't say by the way you're gonna share an apartment, eight girls, you know what I'm saying so That must have been difficult also. 

I was shocked I walk into this apartment there are eight girls and I'm freaking out you know and you know there was a lot of competition and in between like they stole my passport and that's like leave the country and go back home to Canada it was crazy just for this dream of becoming entertainer and Bollywood had to go through so much. This was when This was like five years back. Okay. Yeah but I overcame all that and then I kind of became headstrong in India now it's like I am gonna do this so I got a Hindi teacher started learning Hindi in the.

I started going for auditions You know auditions were very traumatic for me because I was being sent to auditions when I was just learning Hindi do you know what I mean so it was like you know a little bit of Hindi. Go give the audition I'm not mentally prepared you know so I would make a fool out of myself and people are unforgiving you know so they would laugh Leave mean comments I mean they would laugh in front of my face. Come see her Hindi like this calling everybody to come to look at like I'm some circus you know what I mean I used to go through all that right now it's funny when I discuss this with my friends I laugh but at that time.

What the hell am I doing and then you know and then I'd go back home and like very dramatic I sit in a rickshaw and cry in the rickshaw like howling and the rickshaw driver would be like is everything okay and I would be like just take me home and I'd come home and start crying and my friend would ask why are you crying the because everyone's laughing at me you know she's like shut up clean your face and you know just do your thing so I had to go through a lot of like humiliation people laughing at meat auditions.

 I remember one casting director she ripped me apart she told me why are you even here so I was like because I want to like make it you know I have a dream I have a passion I want to act I want to dance I want to be a performer I want to entertain people no no no go back to your country like that we already have people like you go back you know I was just like so we have to face a lot of that stuff so you know Nora you were talking about casting directors misbehaving and the woman but there are a lot of men who are predators you know and there are so many men who were named also right and did you come across something like that was it like humiliating for us to see. 

I never like came across but like pressure nothing like that it's always just bullying yeah like why are you here your Hindi is s*** you can do this you can't do that we have too many people like youth is is what I used to face do you know what I mean or sometimes I would face like me begging for someone just to take my audition and them not answering my phone call or not answering my messages stuff like that I think one situation which I'll never forget would probably be that one casting director who like just told me I should go back she said we don't want people like you here like Canada doesn't have an entertainment industry but Hollywood does but LA does right and when I look at LA I'm just like there's a diversity of people there everybody you keep anyone can go and try their luck you know if you have the talent and the passion go for it nobody is going to tell you to go back to your country you know what I mean why are you here so when I heard that.

I was just like you know what hurts me the most we grew up watching Hindi cinema when I say we I mean like Moroccan people like that the Arabs we watch Hindi cinema we idolize Hindi cinema you know what I mean when you go to Morocco you need to see what they do about Shahrukh Khan they're crazy about Shahrukh Khan like Shahrukh Khan pictures are everywhere people love him you know what I mean Amitabh Bachchan you know what I'm saying like Madhuri Dixit ma'am Kajol everybody they're obsessed with them and then to come to India and then have someone tell you why you here get out of here you know we don't want you it was like oh my god but we love.

 You know what I mean we love this industry that we grew up with this industry you know what I mean But are these people your friends or family. 

It's like everybody you know trying to say like people I know colleagues associates classmates friends everybody do you know what I mean family- they're like what different story but so I was in between people here are saying go back home I can't go back home because they're telling me why did you leave anyway so I'm just like I have to make it but it's been a long journey. They must be super proud of you given the space that you've created for yourself today. Yes for sure. You have broken the glass ceiling you know with Dilbar and actually with Bahu Bali the song yeah and then now Dilbar because Dilbar was the most popular track of last year and maybe for the years to come um do you see a change in perception among these people who initially criticized you. Yes yes for sure I feel like so initially.

 When I started getting work like my first film was a film called Roar Tigers of the Sunder bans in which I was acting in so I remember at that time the people around me would say a lot of things like Listen there's a formula in this industry don't break the formula don't do songs don't do South songs don't do reality shows don't do TV you do any of the stuff you're over pack your bags go back to your country like that so one day I woke up and I was like why am I even listening to everybody I'm gonna do whatever work comes my way so reality shows came my way I did them I did Big Boss yeah I did Jhalak you know what I mean South songs came my way I did all the South songs and one year I did like 11 songs do you know what I mean I said work just come to me you never know who's gonna see me so imagine. I got Bahu Bali because of the other South songs I did if I haven't known if I didn't do those South songs yeah then that director would have never thought of me for Bahu Bali true so everything in my career has been connected. 

By dots. One opened another door and Dilbar happened because of one show. I did in the south like a Miss Famine diva awards show I did so when they were casting for Dilbar they have seen that video and they're like this is the style we want for Dilbar yeah so they had called me asked me this is if I can do this for Dilbar Yeah sure you know so that's how Dilbar happened for me and of course Kamariya also happened but Kamariya. I shot before Dilbar and Kamariya happened because of Bahu Bali so everything was connected but as you can see it's at the end of the day it's a song that made me kind of explode. 

Thank you for this lovely conversation because it was nice to know the kind of struggles that you've gone through I don't think a lot of people know that. Yeah. They just know how you are and how you dance people should get to know the real story behind your life you know it's and it's what you've done is incredible. Thank you I appreciate it All the best. Thank you so much. And thank you for having me Hey guys this is Nora Fateh 

 

 

 

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