"In Rock On I play a sophisticated, town girl" - Prachi Desai

By Nikhil Ramsubramaniam, By Bollywood Hungama News Network

The first thing that strikes you when you speak to her over the phone is her child-like voice. She sounds just like any college going teenager; bubbly and full of life. But if you talk about experience, she has indeed lots to boast of. We are talking about Prachi Desai whose portrayal of Bani in television soap Kasamh Se has made her a household name. Prachi is all set to make the big jump from the small screen to the big screen with her maiden film Rock On. Bollywood Hungama got chatting with the cheerful actress who truly believes that life is rocking.

The first look of your debut film Rock On is out. How do you feel?
(Smiles) It feels amazing. I haven't tried anything new in the last two years so this is something which I am really looking forward to.

The poster gives an impression that it's an all guys film. Is it true?
Hmm…It is, to some extent as the film is about a rock band consisting of these 4 guys. The girls are involved but they are not a part of the band, hence you get the impression that it's an all guys film

What is your character in the film?
She is a modern girl from Bombay. She is not like Bani (laughs) but she is equally sweet. She is quite a sophisticated, town girl. I am paired opposite Farhan in the film.

How has it been working with an actor turned director (Abhishek Kapoor) and a director turned actor (Farhan Akhtar)?
You said it. It was indeed an amazing experience. I was so surprised when I saw Farhan acting because nobody knew that he is such a fabulous actor. His directorial skills…well everyone is aware about but his acting talent is going to take a lot of people by surprise. He is equally good as an actor. I learnt a lot of new things from Abhishek as well so it was a great experience

Describe your first and last day of shooting?
I was a little scared on the first day of shoot (smiles)…didn't quite know what to expect. But it was a lot of fun because Farhan is a really jolly fellow and even the director Abhishek is a chilled out guy. The last day was the best day of the whole shoot. We were shooting in Alibaug for a day. There was a swimming pool and after the shoot everybody was thrown into the pool including me (smiles) and I can't swim. I somehow saved my life.

What similarities or differences do you find shooting for a T.V. show and a Bollywood film?
Hmmmm… at the end of the day it's shooting. The difference would be in terms of time taken and maybe the perfection level. In T.V. we are used to it since we know our characters really well so we don't take much time. Plus there is a time limit in T.V. At times you have to complete 10 scenes in one day. But in films we have a lot more time on our hands, so you have time to think about how you want to do a particular scene. So I would say it's more chilled out.

From the simple Bani to a girl who is hanging out with a bunch of rockers, must be quite a shock for your viewers?
Yeah absolutely (laughs)….and I hope they take the shock in the right way.

Since the film is about a rock band, how has the music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy evolved?
Oh it's fantastic. The music sounds so real; you will feel like you are attending a rock concert in a college.

So are you into rock music in real life….What music do you like?
No I am totally into Hindi filmy music.

Since you were the baby on the sets, did anyone pull a prank on you?
Thankfully no!!( Smiles). We had a great time shooting since apart from the guys we also had our girly gang consisting of Shahana Goswami, Koel Purie, Nicolette and myself. We had a blast together.

You won the dancing reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa... So do you get to wear your dancing shoes for Rock On?
(Laughs) Luckily no…I don't have any dance numbers in the film.

The film's tagline says 'Live your Dream'… What is your Motto in life?
That's my motto as well- 'Live your Dream'. I have lived my dream. I have always wanted to be an actor and have worked very hard for it. So thank god I've also been really lucky

When is the music likely to release?
The music should release in a few days now since the posters are already out.

So what else do you have apart from Rock On
Apart from Rock On, I am doing Abbas-Mustan's home production Life Partner which is directed by Rumi Jaffrey. However it's too early to talk about it now.

So how are you planning to shuffle your time between T.V. and films?
It's really tough doing both T.V. and films at the same time. Hence, I am not doing T.V. any more. I somehow managed it during Rock On but your mind gets diverted which is not good.

Now that you are all set to make a grand entry in the big bad world of Bollywood, what message do you have for all your fans who have supported you on T.V. all these years?
What do I say? I am really nervous about Rock On. I wanna request everyone to come and watch Rock On. It's a great film and I am sure everyone will enjoy it, especially the youngsters.

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