Actor Aradhana Jagota is a Juhi Chawla Fan

Kerry on Kutton, which will be released in June 3, this year, stars the new comers Karan Mahavar and Aradhana Jagota. A Journalist Reveals caught up with Aradhana for an interview. This is what she had to reply to our questions:

Tell us something about your childhood.

I was born in New Delhi into a Punjabi family, to Sandeep Jagota, a Civil Engineer and Vandana Jagota, a Textile Designer. The first 20 years of my life have been spent in Delhi. My parents tell me that right from early childhood I was always very ‘Lady-Like’ in my mannerism. My first contact with Bollywood was at the age of two-and-a-half years, copying Madhuri Ma’am. I wrote to her a letter as her fan and got a reply too. By the time I was eight I was copying Juhi Ma’am, and as luck would have it, I acted in a Kurkure Ad with her at the age of 19.

Full educational qualifications.

I completed my schooling from Summer Fields School, New Delhi in 2008 where the initial passion for acting developed. With a single-minded focus on acting, I completed my graduation from Asian School of Media Studies in 2011 to get a B.Sc. Degree in Mass Communication, Advertisement and Journalism, where I acted in films made by fellow students.

Have you trained as an actor?

I used to be active in dramatics while in school and later on acted in a few student films in college. To hone my acting skills I attended an acting program at Actor Prepares when I shifted to Mumbai.

What did your parents say when you decided that you wanted to take up acting as a career?

I was in 11th standard when I told them that I want to become an actor. I still remember that I acted in a school play that particular day and after I delivered my monolog quite a few people in the audience started clapping and that was the moment when I knew that this was what I wanted to do in life. So once I came home I poured my heart out to my parents. We collectively knew that I loved to be in front of the camera and my career got decided. They have been very supportive of this decision all along.

How did you get Kerry on Kutton?

When I was in 2nd year college, I started modeling and Ashok (my director) was a super senior studying cinema in the same college. So, when he was making his student film he asked me if I would like to act in his film. We did a small rehearsal and a script reading but he ended up not making that film. Then he met me years later after 24 released and told me about Kerry On Kutton and asked me if I would like to play Jyoti? And I said yes.

Which was your first shot? How did it take place? Were you nervous?

My first shot was when I did an ad for Kurkure with Juhi Chawla. I was a little nervous to shoot with her but at the same time I was too excited as I have admired her since I was a kid. And as it turned out she was so sweet and supportive. And I learnt from her that one should be humble no matter how big a superstar you become.

Would you like to share any other incident connected to your debut movie?

Since there are two scenes in the film where my character smokes a bidi and I had never even tried smoking a cigarette in my life, my director literally taught me how to smoke in 15 days of workshop so that I could shoot the scene with ease. Once those scenes were shot and complete, I was so glad that I would never get to smoke that horrid thing again until I do another role where the script demands it. It also made me wonder that why do people get addicted to smoking when it tastes so bad and harms our health in so many ways.

Also, I play the character of a girl who works in the fields after school. It was a fun experience learning how to harvest wheat and shoot that. Though I got a little hurt while doing the harvesting, it was a new and different experience.

Have you signed any other movie now that your first movie is going to be released?

To be honest, not yet. A few scripts came my way but I somehow couldn’t connect with them and I believe as an actor you need to be 100 percent convinced with what you are doing. Only then can you give it your best. But you guys will know about it when it’s happening.

What do you see 10 years hence?

I see a very content and joyful human being, who would have lived being creative, sharing her happiness with others and a person who is hungry to learn more from life.

What do you do when not facing the camera?

When I’m not in front of the camera, I either go home to Delhi and spend time with my family or I book a flight to some interesting destination and take off.