Gauahar Khan is enjoying the positive feedback that is coming her way after the Indian adaptation of The Office released on Hotstar VIP last month amidst much furore. Hardcore fans of the cult show, made popular by Steve Carrell and company, were not excited about this launch but the show continues to draw attention, post its release. We caught up with Gauahar on the phone to talk about the show and her fashion label Gauahargeous. Excerpts...
The Office experience...
It was way too much fun because I was working with great directors. There was Debbie (Rao) in the first schedule and there was Rohan Sippy sir. They are fun personalities themselves so it was not like you were scared of anybody on set. There was automatically a lot of give and take, while staying true to the original show and having fun. There were so many people at any given time on the set that from food sharing to pulling pranks, we did it all.
The original show…
No, I haven’t watched the original show; neither the British nor the American one but I do know how big it is. However, I never watch the original when I am offered a remake. Even when I was doing Begum Jaan, I never watched Raajkahini. Actually, I still haven’t watched Raajkahini because I like it that way, not having a reference point and doing everything from scratch. I hope that it keeps me away from aping someone else’s performance and bring something new to it, by myself.
The response…
I am very happy with the way people are accepting the show. I was especially pleased with this one review which said that I was better than the original Jan Levinson (played by Melora Hardin) and I thought that maybe I should pinch myself a little! I always knew this show would open up to criticism and then take them by surprise and that’s exactly what has happened. Only yesterday I was at the supermarket and a guy came up to me, gushing about the show. He said, “I have watched both the British and the American version of the show and was a big fan and I just finished binge-watching the Indian one and I loved how it has retained the desi flavour and done such an amazing job.” Changing the mind of a hardcore fan really got me excited.
Dancer, model, actor, entrepreneur...
I love to do everything and that’s what keeps me motivated and brings me happiness. I want to explore and expand more and do all kinds of things, be it cinema or television or stage or business avenues.
The fashion label...
Gauahargeous is an online fashion brand with ready-to-wear, easy clothing for daily use. We participate in a lot of multi-brand exhibitions around the country, which opens up a lot of avenues for the brand and spreads awareness. The market is so competitive that one needs to get out there and make their label stand out. It’s been a year and the response has been great. We are packed with exhibitions from July to September and am very excited with where Gauahargeous is going. I am very happy and proud that I was able to put up a brand all by myself, without any form of backing or help from anybody. We will hopefully be coming to Calcutta as well in September, in a multi-designer store, if things go according to plan.
Handling social media...
I have been through so much; all kinds of things have happened to me. So a comment or a troll really doesn’t affect me. I reply to people and things that I feel are important. I don’t give even a second of my day to the negativity that can sometimes be found online. As for the pressure of being on any social media platforms, well, I have been on a show like Big Boss where I absolutely had to be myself and show the world my exact personality; from the way I wake up to the way I sleep.
Then I also did a show called The Khan Sisters which was completely about my life. I don’t have any reservations of impressing anybody at any time. If you see my social media posts, they are about my daily activities of having fun with my cat and doing mundane, day-to-day things. I never care about how much make-up I have on or what clothes I am wearing. Of course, when I do dress up, I would put up a picture but my social media presence doesn’t revolve around such moments only.
On travelling...
I am a last-minute packer but I am not the kind of person who will pack whatever they find easily in their wardrobe. I need to know what I am wearing on which day but it’s all last-minute. Travel is my fuel. If I could earn to only travel, I would do that. I love travelling because it gives me peace, happiness and knowledge.
Dream role…
I wish I had been a part of Barfi. I have always been offered really strong roles though and for a change I would love to play the quintessential Bollywood heroine with song-and-dance numbers. I want to get the pressure off myself and instead do an easy, romantic role. But I do think that whatever role I play, I try to make it my dream one. I have already completed an upcoming web series and I am excited about that.
