Sara Ali Khan on her ‘highest grosser’ Zara Hatke Zara Bachke: Can’t claim Simmba as much as Ranveer Singh, Rohit Shetty

“The title is very appropriate to what happened with my film. When everyone was going bachke, we went the hatke way,” gushes Sara Ali Khan, sitting in her plush Mumbai apartment, with a relaxed look on her face. Her film, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke has been running in theatres for close to a month now, and surprised everyone with it’s long legs.

“One thing is that your film passes the Monday test… my mom (actor Amrita Singh) is obsessed with Twitter, she keeps sending me these articles ‘fourth weekend is higher than the third’ and so on. I have never really understood numbers that much, the only currency I prefer is that I have love from the audience,” she smiles.

The 26-year-old is more than anything, happy that the notion about people not going to theatres anymore has been busted. “I am happy to see that we are back. Bauhaut log bolte the ‘badi film honi chahiye, action film honi chahiye, sirf tabhi big screen par aayegi’ But that’s not necessary. I always said- maybe didn’t believe it myself- that if you tell stories honestly , it will touch people’s hearts. I am happy we actually stood our ground. Vicky and me did our best to promote this film,” says Khan. The duo had just two weeks in hand to promote the film by the way, and Tere Vaaste was shot in just six hours in a hurry!

HIGHEST GROSSER?

While she might have said that she doesn’t understand numbers, the fact is that actors are ranked on the basis of their film’s performance. Khan agrees, “I would be lying if I say that it doesn’t matter. ZHZB is my highest grossing film so far. In Simmba (which is technically her highest grossing film), I can’t claim it as much as Ranveer Singh and Rohit Shetty. Apart from doing my job with as much conviction as I could do, and trying to march Ranveer’s energy in every song… I can’t claim. Yes it was my film too, but ZHZB feels more personal. Laxman Utekar, Vicky and me have done this together. I don’t want to put down commercial cinema, this film is a family film, a film that I can claim as much credit as Vicky can.”

SMALL TOWN GIRL

Khan has been a big town girl all her life, studied abroad and never really lived in small towns to imbibe their mannerisms this well. But her most appreciated performances- Atrangi Re, Kedarnath and now ZHZB- are all small town girls. Ask how does she manage to pull this off, and she says, “I have definitely not lived in rural India, but I am very proud and aware of my Indian-ness. What happens is, when I travel, people think ‘phirse chhutti pe nikal gayi’ but aisa nahi hai. My holidays are very different, maybe that’s why people don’t like holidaying with me. It’s not lavish or luxurious. If I go to Himachal for five days, I will spend at least 6 meals with the local people. I enjoy it. In Kedarnath, there is a rajma chawal stall, spending time there is very important.”

While she personally might have not lived their life, the actor continues, “I am aware of how rural heartland functions. Indiann-ness is an emotion, I am a desi girl at my core. If these roles resonated, maybe it’s because they come from an honest space.”