Zaira Wasim Interview: Pressure is great for me as it motivates you to work even harder!

After delivering a rivetingly powerful performance in her debut film ‘Dangal’ and walking away with the National Film Award for the same, popular child artist Zaira Wasim is winning hearts with her latest film ‘Secret Superstar’. The film, which talks about a girl’s dream of becoming a singer, stars Wasim in the leading role of Insia. Not just the audience, but critics are also raving about her heart-touching act in the movie. BollywoodMDB correspondent, Mohnish Singh, meets Zaira to talk about the runaway success of the film. In the course of the interview, the actress also opens about what Aamir Khan means to her, kind of roles she wants to take up and why being a star is a constant struggle.

Q. Aamir Khan recently said that he considers you the best actress in Bollywood. It is really a huge statement. How do you feel?

A. I don’t know what to say. What all I would like to say is ‘Thank you’. I don’t even consider myself an actress and he has given such a big compliment. It is a huge statement that he has made. I am really glad that he feels that I am the best actress. This is all that I can say. I am really grateful.

Q. Does his statement put an added pressure on you?

A. It does! But pressure is great for me as it motivates you to work even harder. If people think that you are someone worth expecting from, then it is a huge thing for you because you have done something and it motivates you to work even harder.

Q. Be it in Dangal or Secret Superstar, you have this fierce, indefatigable attitude in you. So, does this come from the background you come from?

A. Maybe not! I don’t know about the background but that is not the kind of person I am. Or maybe I am but I don’t display it. If you look at me in my personal life, I am not like that.

Q. How would you describe your mentor Aamir Khan?

A. He is not a mentor. He is a friend; he is like a family member.

Q. You have won National Award for your performance in Dangal. So, it is kind of obvious that expectations are going to be really high from you in future. The competition is going to be higher. It will be bigger than what it is now. How do you look at that?

A. My biggest competition is myself. Yes, as an actor I feel my biggest competition is myself. My last project is not going to stay with me for the rest of my life. I need to do even better. If I choose a script, it has to be something that I enjoy. I have to be convinced about it. If I am, I will give my hundred percent.

Q. Nowadays, sequels are in vogue. Is there any chance we see a sequel to Secret Superstar?

A. That you have to ask Advait, my director. I have no idea whether or not there will be any sequel to the film.

Q. What kind of roles are you waiting for now?

A. I am not forcing anything right now. I am just going with the flow because this is not the right time for me to make any decision and set a bar for myself. I am yet to explore a lot of things. But one thing that I am hundred percent sure it that it has to be a great script, it has to be sensible enough for me to do it. And I need to be convinced about it.

Q. Actresses who started off as child artists traditionally have not had a smooth transition when they go on to playing adult characters in Bollywood. So, is that an apprehension at the back of your head?

A. I don’t have a take on it because I never comprehended this idea. Let’s see what happens. I have done these two amazing films. All I want right now is to wait for the right time. This transition process is my job. I will see how I can pull it off.

Q. So, you do plan to become a full-time actress in future?

A. No, I don’t. I don’t plan anything.

Q. How do you define a superstar?

A. There is no definition of a superstar. It is a constant struggle. You might have superstardom today and it may vanish tomorrow. So, you need to work constantly to maintain it.

Q. Secret Superstar touches upon various social issues apart from a mother-daughter relationship and domestic violence. Were you ever conscious of the fact that it may hurt the sentiments of any community?

A. If it does not hurt me, it does not hurt anybody; this is what I feel. If it does not hurt me, I assume it does not hurt anybody else. I am very careful with sentiments. I am a very sensitive person and very considerate about what others feel. While we are entertaining people through films, we should be extremely careful that we don’t hurt others sentiments.

Q. Do you discuss your future plans with Aamir Khan?

A. If I feel the need to, then yeah.

Q. Have you read any new script?

A. Yes, I have read a couple of scripts but nothing has clicked yet.