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EXCLUSIVE: Secret Superstar's Zaira Wasim: It took me 2 hours to explain what a National Award is and my father still did not think it is a big thing
Zaira Wasim in an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla speaks about her preparations for the role, on winning the National Award and on working with Aamir Khan.
Zaira Wasim, who will be turning 17 years old on October 23, made an impressive debut with Aamir Khan starrer blockbuster Dangal. Zaira also won a National Award for playing young Geeta Phogat in the movie. Born in Srinagar, Zaira is now all set to captivate the dream city Mumbai with her impeccable performance in the upcoming movie, Secret Superstar. The movie also stars Aamir Khan in an extended cameo.
Zaira, who is nervous and excited about her upcoming release Secret Superstar, in an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, spoke about her preparations for the role, on winning the National Award and on working with Aamir Khan.
Here's an excerpt from the interview:
Tell us about your character, Insia?
Secret Superstar is a beautiful script and I have been very lucky and blessed to have worked with Aamir Khan twice. About the character, Insia, she is a girl with a lot of dreams. The film is about the relationship between a mother and a daughter and the struggles of just every other woman which they are unable to express most of the times. 
How similar is Insia to Zaira? Did you resonate with the character?
The relationship which the mother and daughter share in the film is very similar to what I share with my parents but apart from that, it was difficult for me to connect with the character and the surroundings because I come from a family who is very supportive and encouraging of whatever I wish to do. They always let me do what I want to do which is not the case in the film. Second thing, the father in the movie is very hostile and rude and has patriarchal thoughts which is not true in my life. My father is very loving, he has never yelled at or hit me.
In the trailer, we see you pulling off some really intense scenes. Did you have an emotional breakdown while doing any scene?
If you have seen the trailer, the father holds me up by my chin, that scene, in particular, was very difficult for me because I did not know how to react to it and it was very disturbing for me.
There were so many moments when I had an emotional breakdown because this film is so intense. When the story was narrated to me, it was so intense that I was almost in tears. When I was shooting that one scene where Insia is breaking the buckets and yelling, it was very intense for me. The kind of actor I am, I am not that brilliant that I can get into the skin of the character. What I do instead is build an emotion or go back to thoughts or any past incident to achieve the closest emotion I had felt to make the scene look convincing.
From doing physically draining scenes in Dangal to playing a school student in Secret Superstar, How was the transition like?
My priority for Secret Superstar was how to play guitar and try to look like music enthusiasts. I have spent a lot of time with my trainer to learn and at least look like someone who can play guitar.
How much time did it take?
Just when I finished Dangal, I immediately started to prepare for SS. It took me like 6 months to prepare and shoot for the movie.
You have worked with Aamir Khan in two movies. How was the experience like?
It has been wonderful working with him. Apart from him helping me, the energy that he brings into the room changes the vibe that we already have. He is so effortless as an actor and as a person, so humble and caring. While working with him, I learned a lot of things.
Given that you are still studying, how do you strike a balance between work and studies?
When I was shooting for Secret Superstar, I was preparing for my boards so it was a big thing for me and my family. I remember when I started shooting I was very happy that 'great now I will miss school' and then it hit me that it is 10th. I was given an ultimatum by my parents that they will only let me do this film if I pass 10th. Had I failed, I would have been grounded for rest of my life.
With the colossal success of Dangal, how does it feel being considered a star since your debut film?
The stardom has never hit and I hope it never does. The love is amazing. The response we all are getting is amazing. We deserved to be appreciated for what we did and we got that, it is so overwhelming.
You won a National Award for Dangal. How did your friends and family react?
It is actually a crazy story. When it [National Awards] was declared, I was sleeping. I woke up at 2 and I checked my phone and there were like 30 miss calls from my family and friends and I got congratulatory messages. That moment my cousin called me and said you did not tell me you have got an award and I was like what award, which award? That's when I got the news and I had no clue about the National Award. I knew that it is a big thing but then had no clue ki kaun deta hai kaise hota hai.. I was with my nani at that time in Bombay. My nani was so excited and started panicking saying whom should I say. She called my father and he had no clue what a National Award is..it took me 2 hours to explain what a National Award is and he still did not think it is a big thing. But then when I was actually there, receiving it, that's when my parents were really proud.
What are your expectations from Secret Superstar?
I am very nervous for the film because there is so much effort that has gone behind it, so the pressure is there, of course. But I am sure it will do well because AK [Aamir Khan] and also because it is a good script.
Any message to those who look up to you as an inspiration especially people from your hometown?
Not just the people of Valley, I want to tell everyone to Dream and be passionate about it. Instead of looking up to someone else's life. As teenagers, I am sure people fall for vanity but I want them to understand that don't follow someone else's path. You don't know what goes on and what is happening. Just go through your own experiences.
Secret Superstar releases on October 19, 2017.
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