Would love to do more antagonist roles: Actor Soha Ali Khan

Hindustan Times

01-05-2025

New Delhi, Fresh off her role as a villain in the horror movie "Chhorii 2", actor Soha Ali Khan says she's eager to take on more antagonist characters and delve into the complex shades of grey.
Talking to PTI on the sidelines of a panel discussion organised by the Almond Board of California in Pune, Khan admitted that she was being experimental by playing such roles and receiving positive feedback for her performance in "Chhorii 2" has been "very reassuring".
"I have always felt that when it comes to cinema the antagonist has so many wonderful layers whereas the hero or heroine are often trapped by the unvirtuous. Now we are exploring characters and getting into grey and we are getting into reality.
"So I think it is definitely very interesting to play an antagonist and I would love to do more such roles," said the actor, who plays the character of 'Daasi Maa', an eerie and sinister antagonist.
The actor, known for films such as 'Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster', 'Tum Mile', and 'Ahista Ahista', is making her come back to acting after a seven-year hiatus. She was last seen in "Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3" in 2018.
Khan, acknowledging that she got little distracted with motherhood, shared that she is motivated to do more work. She recently wrapped up shooting for the thriller "Bridge", in which she stars alongside her "Rang De Basanti" co-actor R Madhavan. The film is set to release later this year.
Besides her own comeback, the 46-year-old actor is happy to see her mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, returning to Bengali cinema with "Puratwan", which she starred alongside Rituparna Sengupta.
"I was very excited. I guess after 12-14 years she has gone back to Bengali cinema. It is her mother tongue, it is her real passion. She was very excited to work in Bangla again. I think cinema really immortalises you, so as a daughter to watch your mother being immortalised on screen. I think it is something really precious," she added.
As a mother herself, when asked which of her own films she'd like her daughter to watch first, she laughed and said, 'Definitely not 'Chhorii 2',' before choosing the 2007 romantic drama film "Khoya Khoya Chand".
"It's a biopic, it's about being an actor. I think she would enjoy the different looks, the glamour, the sarees, and the costumes. But more than mine, I would want her to watch 'Hum Hain Raahi Pyaar Ke' by Kunal . That's the movie she would actually really enjoy," she explained.
Kemmu was only seven when he played the role of a naughty kid, Sunny, in the 1993 film "Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke". The romantic-comedy drama, which stars Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla in the lead roles, is based on the 1958 Hollywood movie "Houseboat".
With a family full of A-list stars, including Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, one wonders if there's ever been a temptation for them to collaborate on a project.
Khan responded in negative, saying there hasn't been such a plan and that it sounds more like the premise for a reality show, 'that too not a good one".
"Our audience is quite savvy. They don't want to see something gimmicky. And now, with social media and everything, you see the family enough on Diwali, on Eid, in reels, and in photographs. I think in films, we need to have some kind of script; we need an original authenticity to justify why all of us have been cast in it," she concluded.
The discussion, which also saw fitness expert Yasmin Karachiwala and dietitian Ritika Samaddar as panelists, focused on the importance of protein in addressing India's nutritional gap.
It highlighted the role of small dietary changes, like a handful of almonds, in improving protein intake for people across all age groups.