Ajay Mathur

Farhana Bhat is a well-known face of Kashmir in the Indian film industry – Bollywood –Her role in Laila Majnu was noticed. However, very few people know that his Communication and Journalism course graduate ALSO represented Kashmir University in Y20 and G20. Ajay Mathur speaks to her about her life and struggle. Excerpts from the conversation:

You have been so vocal during G20 meet at Kashmir and brief us about your journey

I started as a model and I was being paid Rs 1500 per assignment. I was also pursuing my degree in journalism and mass communication.

You're working on so many documentaries to promote J&K Tourism. How is that experience?

This was a great experience as an actor because I have worked with a lot of big productions; in a lot of movies or documentaries, and music videos, Here, I was working on a documentary. It is a different experience because one also gets to see a lot of fun places.

Farhana Bhat practising yoga

Did you ever do had to fight against your family’s pressures or taboos? What has been the point of liberation for you or the big moment of change?

So when you are coming from an Orthodox Kashmiri Muslim family and then choosing a career like acting and modeling, it speaks for itself the struggle I have gone through. Of course, it was not easy for me. I had to make every single person understand what I am doing and why I'm doing it. Incidentally, I thought of becoming an actor. Finally when I was getting a lot of praise from my family, and my relatives they also told me, that I was doing something that is not acceptable to others and our society.

 My mom was physically attacked, and I was attacked. They started spreading propaganda that I was taking drugs. They were trying to outcast us from society. They wanted to show we are not part of society.

If it is not too impersonal, I found in my research, that it was so bad that if you move out of your house, there was an element of character assassination on young girls.

Absolutely. By the time I started working in the industry, there was a notion that if you're working a nine-to-five, that's completely fine. But if you're someone who does have this 9-5 routine, and you go without a hijab, and you wear jeans, then anyone has the right to issue a certificate of you being a calculus woman. That is the harsh reality I have faced in rocky situations.

Now you come a long way from those days and this is appreciable. Tell us about Lalia Majnu..

Of course, I can never forget that because that movie was due for release in 2018. I had to give an audition for it and I was cast. Then I attended a workshop. I was having the support of all the crew members as I was very new to that. The acting was alien to me. It was a big deal. For me, it was a training point because during the workshop I discovered this is something I would want to do for my whole life.

You have worked for Salman Khan's production Notebook. How was that experience?

That was an amazing experience. But when we get to a production like for non-content, looking at a supporting cast in the movie, however, they have been that time they have been linking to new actors to the industry. But I got a chance to show my craft in that movie. It was a big deal. People here also watched that movie. They praise me for that movie as well. And the working someone working with such banners likes a month sometimes it's a big deal because it's not a piece of cake you know.

Did you get a chance to meet Salman Khan?

I did get a chance to meet him although, you know, he's a big star. He doesn't have time to appreciate someone personally as long as the person is not so close to him. We understand that. But yeah, I got the chance to meet him

You also worked on a travel story, which was shot in Mumbai and Morocco; Tell us about that experience.

I loved the experience of working with Priceless Book Production House. The way they treat you as an actor and appreciate your work is a big thing. 

I also found that you have dabbled in adventure sports. What kind of adventure sports have you done?

Mainly, I have been involved in martial arts. However, as I told you being an actor I have a lot of perks. You know we get to explore a lot of places and explored and in that process, we get involved in a lot of activities, and adventures. I have done river rafting, pipelining, and horse riding. Not that I am a professional in any of these but I do have got a handful of experience in each one of these.

Tell me about your experience of being part of the Youth Conference of G-20 that was organized at the University of Kashmir.

I was chosen as a speaker only for the Youth meet of G-20 which took place at the University of Kashmir. I was present as alumni of the University of Kashmir and topics on which we had to speak were political. We were asked to pick up some given words on risk reduction and disaster management. I spoke on risk reduction; what it means; what things are related to disaster management. We all are well aware of what these terms mean. So, I spoke about what it takes to subside disaster and what proactive measures we can take; what medicines should you carry in case you fall sick. I spoke about how our country tackles all the disasters that we have seen in recent years. I spoke about the 2014 floods in Kashmir. I have been thinking about it all the time.

Farhana Bhat in Kashmiri attire

In Kashmir when your film is likely to be showcased and screened at the multiplex in Kashmir. How do you feel about this possibility?

I am glad to know about that. There's something in the media I was happy about because it's not just I can go and see whatever I want to see. It is that every single artist be directed away. From the middle class or read after the musician of the Kusmi they got the platform to showcase their talent because there are people of course directors, well-known directors, actors, and singers who have got recognition and awards for international level, but their industry, the place where they belong to. And this is kind of an unfortunate thing if you ask me as an actor. So if I'm making a masterpiece, which is collectively called the people with all the good times because actors or singers, if I'm making something at least I'll be able to showcase it in the industry to show people see what I have made. What I have read the biggest thing is the first thing to celebrate about the multiplex opening industry. So yeah, if you ask me what that has been about, like my opinion, I did a small role in the Kerala story that I got to see in the multiplex and it was amazing.

That's amazing. Congratulations. How do you get time to drink the rocking juice prepared by your mom?

Whenever I'm out for a shoot I get very good food but I always crave something of my mom's hands. 

How do you keep your stress-free attention because you have to look into domestic commitments as well as your professional engagement, how to keep a work-life balance?

In the beginning, it was really difficult for me to manage my work and my adult household shows because I also take care of my family. It was very difficult for me to manage in between. It's not like emotional depression. Or anything because I firmly believe what I deserve will get way to come to me. No one can stop it. And if something is not pleasing to me, it will find no way to get to me. I firmly believe in all these things. And it's as if something is destined to raise me just to find ways to matter to me if I'm getting rejected it's not like I have never gone through any of the processes or anything I have gone through yet to like so many times, but it hardly matters to me because I feel like it was not working for me it was not made for me so why would I just worry about it?

Wonderful! Though you are an established actor, your destination is far away.

Of course, I have a long way ahead because it's not just like I do next few movies and that's it. I told you that I have chosen this career above everything and I have rubbed many people on the wrong side by my decision. I have been through a lot of health-related issues during this period of my career. I have fought with my relatives. Then I found it was no point convincing them because I have a long way to go. This is only because I discovered that this is something I want to do.

What's your vision of life? 

When you ask an actor what is his/her vision of life; What do you want to be? Maybe we want to we want to become a star we want to become very, very famous. But if you ask me I would say I maybe I tell them. I have that notion of becoming a star or something. But down the line, if you see what I see myself in five years, I would want my name to be known as an established actor and I want to be known. 

What is your message for the youth Of Kashmir and the rest of the country?

The message I have for all the people out there who dream of becoming an actor and model is that despite your respect for religion, no matter what religion you belong to, you will always hear this phrase that the film industry is not a good place for women, at least for females, but I want to say one thing via your platform where the space I have got, thankfully, in every profession be it doctors, lawyers, engineers, every profession has two ways one is always right one is always wrong. It all depends on you which one you want to choose.

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If you have faith in yourself and in your craft, and capabilities, you will always choose the right way. You will never choose the wrong way. Also, is that you have to believe in yourself. That's the first wave first key you have to believe in yourself and you have to be very much patient as they say that patience is the second name of success. Once you are patient whatever you deserve, will come your way. All the time you have to keep working on yourself. Never think that you are perfect and it's done. No, there is no single actor who thinks he has done and worked hard. If you listen to Shah Rukh Khan, he also says I'm evolving every day. So, we have to evolve every day. We cannot get this notion for a single second in our mind that now I'm perfect and I'm done. No, no one is perfect. You have to evolve; you have to work on your craft every single day. And you have to give dedication; you have to give devotion to what you want to become. Because how you see yourself today is what you will become tomorrow. So just believe in yourself, know what you're doing. Be patient 

This interview was in a podcast