Ibrahim Ali Khan is the life of the party, Khushi Kapoor sleeps by 10 pm: Nadaaniyan actor Aaliyah Qureishi | Interview

If you thought the era of Bollywood rom-coms was over, think again! Nadaaniyan just premiered on Netflix this Friday, ready to rekindle the magic of romance and comedy. Actor Aaliyah Qureishi, who is a part of the film’s young and vibrant cast, opens up about her experience on set and shares exclusive insights about the lead duo, Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor, in an exclusive interview with Livemint.

Nadaaniyan

Aaliyah defines her time on Nadaaniyan as “short and sweet.” The actor, who previously appeared in Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan and Bandish Bandits, said, “Nadaaniyan was a short and sweet project, on a tight schedule. Jawan took two years. Bandish Bandits took more than 1.5 years. It was fun because we had quite a young cast; we would hang out and chill after the shoot. We had a really good understanding with Shauna (Gautam).”

Nadaaniyan marks the debut of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh's son Ibrahim Ali Khan. Ibrahim is known as the true-blue copy of his father.

"Ibrahim Ali Khan is the life of the party"

Ask Aaliyah how Ibrahim was on the sets, and she shares, “He is warm, fun and extroverted. Ibrahim is very welcoming towards everyone on sets. We would often hang out in the van between the takes or after the shoot. He is the life of the party. This is not his first film; There's another film but Nadaaniyan came out first. It was great to know him.”

In the film, Aaliyah plays the female lead Khushi Kapoor's bestie. Naturally, most of her scenes demanded a good equation with Khushi.

Aaliyah calls Khushi a “genuinely sweet and soft-spoken” person. She recalls how Khushi was the most dedicated one during the film.

“Khushi Kapoor never misses her workout”

“Khushi Kapoor is very disciplined. Everyone would be hanging out at the end of a long day at the shoot but Khushi would be asleep in the bed by 10 pm or 11 pm to prepare for the next day of shoot. She would be the first person to arrive on set. She is the most hard-working, dedicated, and always on top of her game. It's actually her third role but she is really treating it like her first. Khushi is always on time and never misses her workout,” shares Aaliyah.

“Ibrahim and Khushi show up with a blank slate at work”

Aaliyah has been in the industry for quite some time, working with big names in the industry. While working with Ibrahim and Khushi, did she ever sense the aura of stardom that comes with being a star kid?

She instantly denies any such feeling and adds, "They were nice and friendly towards me. There has to be a certain amount of comfort developed for playing the best friend.

"I have worked with Shah Rukh Khan. No one has an aura like him. I mean, who has more of an aura than Shah Rukh sir?

"When I am on set with any actor, I put all of the weightage off because it would be detrimental to my role. There are moments I have to be angry at Khushi or act rude to her, but If I start thinking about who her mom or dad is, I wouldn't be able to perform. I take my work very seriously and show up at work with a blank slate—and Khushi and Ibrahim also show up with a blank slate. It never felt like there was a weird aura."

Aaliyah: Never experienced any difference in treatment during Nadaaniyan

Nadaaniyan is backed by Karan Johar under his renowned banner, Dharma Productions. Over the years, Karan has often found himself at the centre of discussions about nepotism due to his alleged favouritism towards star kids over outsiders.

When asked about this, Aaliyah shared her perspective: “Karan was not there on sets. I have heard that Karan wanted to watch the final product and not get involved in day-to-day matters. He puts his trust in Shauna that she would make something on her own. I never got to experience any difference in treatment during the film. Shauna was very lovely.”

Aaliyah was roped in through casting director Mukesh Chhabra. She recalls going for the 3rd audition of Nadaaniyan unprepared and half asleep. “They told me Shauna just wanted to meet me and see how I am as a person.”

What happened next? “She handed me four to five pages of the script and said, 'Let's meet after 10 mins for the scene'. I was like ‘Oh my God! This is horrible. I am not dressed for this… I didn’t prepare for this!' My brain felt half dead. But then, I told myself, ‘I guess I just have to suck it up and do it because I’m an actor.’ I must have done a good job because, around 6 pm, I got a call from the crew saying I was selected.”

Nadaaniyan sequel

Aaliyah Qureishi has several exciting projects lined up next, but could a Nadaaniyan sequel be on the cards? The film has received a warm reception from fans, with many already hoping for a sequel.

Is a sequel too much to ask for? Aaliyah hints, "I hope there will be a sequel. Fingers crossed!

“I would love to meet everyone and take the story forward.”