Lehar Khan, 13, received kudos from critics for her role in the Oscar- nominated film, Jalpari. She speaks about her role to Times NIE...
Lehar Khan, 13*, received kudos from critics for her role in the Oscar- nominated film, Jalpari. She speaks about her role to Times NIE...
How did you get into acting? Since I am a trained dancer, I take part in various dance competitions. In one such competition, director Ravi Harsh spotted me. I was called for an audition test and got selected for his 10-minute documentary film Destiny, a story of an ambitious girl from a poor family who breaks all odds to pursue her dream of studying and makes it big. And that’s how I got into acting.
How did Jalpari happen? I got very good reviews from director Ravi Harsh. One of the crew members of the Destiny team recommended my name for Jalpari. I was again called for the audition. There were more than 2,000 kids for the test and I was the lucky one to get selected for the movie. I play one of the lead characters in the movie.
Tell us something about your role in the movie I play the role of Shreya, a tomboy. The story revolves around siblings and their adventures in a village.
Did you enrol yourself for acting lessons? No, I didn’t take any training for acting, but before the shooting of Jalpari started, I attended a workshop on acting for a few days. I am a dancer, and therefore, expressions come naturally to me.
What challenges did you face in your role? Since I was playing a tomboy in a rural setting, I had to climb mountains, trees, swim and indulge in all kinds of adventures. Initially, it was scary, but later, of course, I enjoyed it.
How do you balance your studies and acting? My school has been very supportive. My teachers helped me in my studies while I was out for shooting. They made sure that I don’t lag behind. Besides, I also make it a point to study and finish my assignments before going out for shooting.
What do you find more interesting—acting or studies? Acting comes naturally to me and I love it. But studies are very important as well. So, I try to enjoy both.
What’s next? I have given an audition for Subash Ghai’s upcoming project.
What message would you give youngsters who want to take up acting? If you are passionate about acting and want to take it as a career, always join an acting class. It really helps you in honing your acting skills.
About Jalpari
- The movie Jalpari has been nominated at the prestigious Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA)
- Jalpari was sent to the Academy of Motion Pictures as a direct entry for the Oscar Awards in the foreign film category
- The film also won MIP Junior Kids Jury Award at Cannes in Oct 2012.
- The film received the prestigious Audience Choice Award in Minsk International Film Festival in Belarus
* Age as of 2012