Sara Ali Khan’s Take on Being Given Less Screen Time in Coolie No. 1.

Recently in an interview Sara Ali khan was asked about her take on less screen time in Coolie no.1, she replied with, “Meri Aukat nahi hai to make such comparisons”.

Being part of a good story is a priority for actress Sara Ali Khan, who says she is not in the film industry to “compete” with her colleagues. Sara, the daughter of actors Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh,debuted in 2018 with Kedarnath and was followed  Simmba, which also starred Ranveer Singh.

The 25-year-old actor, whose last release of Imtiaz Ali's love drama Love Aaj Kal, returns to a comedy with David Dhawan's Coolie No 1, starring Varun Dhawan. Women have successfully led comedy n Hindi films, be it Hema Malini in Seeta Aur Geeta in 1972, Sridevi in the 1980s and Mr India and Chaalbaaz, Karisma Kapoor, Juhi Chawla and Raveena Tandon in many of David Dhawan's films in the 1990s.

The latest Hindi comedy, however, has had little to offer you traces of women, with stories mostly focused on men, running the film and its comedy. When asked what her experience - after playing in two great jokes - taught her about the role of women in this genre, Sara said she doesn’t compare herself to her peers.

If you work with people like Ranveer and Varun, aapki aukat nahin hoti (you are not in a position) to make such comparisons. Just be thankful that people like Rohit, David sir, Ranveer or Varun work with you. You don’t just want to compare these things.“Screen time means nothing because these people teach you and encourage you a lot. He's telling a good story, he's making people happy, so who's cracking jokes is a fight I don't want to get into" she told in an interview. Khan went on to say that while working on the project, her only goal was to make the film better as a collaborative effort.

“You have to be the owner of everything you do. I don’t think it’s about comparisons, for women compared to men, for me compared to Ranveer or Varun. It’s a power-packed experience, which will showcase the scene and only make the film better. My goal is just that. It wouldn’t be right if I started competing with Ranveer or Varun. 

From her incomparable comparisons to Govinda to her speeches, dance moves and comedy moments, Karishma's contribution to the success of Coolie No 1 is still remembered today. Sara said there has never been a temptation to imitate Karma, who played a memorable role with Malti, an inexperienced woman who was taken on a ride by Govinda Raju's coolie, which led to chaos and comedy.

“I was very focused on being guided by David sir and enjoying the chemistry I shared with Varun. I am inspired by Karishma, like many actors. She is a celebrity star, the way she makes the remains (potboilers) I don’t think most people can. But I don't think I could or have tried to imitate her."That would be stupid because I would not be able to do justice to that and that was not our effort." The actor said that although the new film has the same status as the original, it is completely new with its scenes and interviews.

That's why, said Sara, both she and Varun did not try to copy Govinda or Karishma. “There will be times when you will find real light but we are not trying to frame it with a copy of the frame. We are trying to bring something new.“If Varun had tried to copy Govinda sir and if I had imitated Karishma ma'am, you would have lost that brand very quickly. Instead of copying it, which is not possible, we are focusing on our ability to bring something new to the table,"added the bubbly actress. 

Commenting on the release of Coolie No 1 from a streamer, the actor said filming on a digital platform like Amazon was "the safest way" to watch a movie amid the coronavirus infection."There is nothing better than staying home for Christmas with your family and enjoying the film, ”she added. Coolie No 1 also stars Paresh Rawal, Jaaved Jaaferi, Rajpal Yadav and Johnny Lever.