I still feel like Alice in Wonderland: Amyra Dastur on working in film industry
Petite, down-to-earth, and quite the girl-next-door, Amyra Dastur isn’t a regular star kid. Coming from a non-film background, the young actress is slowly and steadily working her way up in the industry. Her list of films may not be your regular Box Office blockbusters, but the line-up of characters she has portrayed is interesting.
In person, she is an unassuming, completely regular woman who loves to indulge in some shopping and enjoy some cheat meals, when she is at a new destination. During her visit to the Pink City for a magazine photo-shoot — she was staying at a resort on the city’s outskirts over the past few days — Amyra didn’t miss a chance to gorge on local cafe food, Rajasthani specialities, or to explore the narrow lanes of the Walled City. The icing on the cake turned out to be the rain, which brought the mercury down a bit, creating the perfect air on Saturday to explore the city’s historic Amber Fort.
The actress, who earlier shot for the Hollywood project Kung Fu Yoga with Jackie Chan in Jaipur, shared that she has visited the city many times. “This time, I plan to visit the forts, and also buy jewellery from the local markets. Whenever I am here, I get this rustic vibe from this city. I love Rajasthani food and each time that I am in the city, I cheat on my diet and gorge on some local food,” she shared before heading out for the day.
Though she has been signing big projects, Dastur doesn’t want to compare herself with anyone else. She believes in improving her art instead.
“I am working a lot on myself and try not to compare myself with anyone. I have been taking my Hindi tuitions, work on dancing and much more,” she said.
She reveals that she is pretty good with dramatic scenes. “I feel that I am good at the rona-dhona, I think it comes naturally to me,” quipped the actress.
Having started her career in the movie industry at the age of 20, it was the cultural shock that she had to mostly deal with. Even now, she feels like an outsider.
“Since I don’t come from a filmy background, it was quite difficult for me when I was starting. Now that I am into it, I still feel like an outsider, like Alice in Wonderland… It is a different world for me, and I don’t know how to feel like an insider,” she opened up.
Her coping mechanism has taught her to not get affected by the industry, but she hasn’t turned social overnight. “I am not the kind who would attend parties or socialise. But I am close to my childhood friends,” she added.
What keeps Amyra grounded is her hardcore Parsi background. Whenever she needs guidance, she looks up to her father, like any other daughter would.
“I don’t really know anyone in the industry, and cannot go and ask anyone about the kind of projects I should take up. But I am very close to my dad. He’s pretty logical and though he doesn’t know anything about the industry, he helps me whenever I need any kind of guidance,” said the actress.
Dastur has recently signed the movie Mental Hai Kya, where she shares the screen with Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao, and the web series, The Trip 2.
The 25-year-old actress, who made her Bollywood debut with Issaq, has also done some films in Tollywood, but language has never really been a problem for her.
“When you are making a film, it is the same, be it in any language, and I have gotten used to it by now. I am just concentrating on improving my Hindi at the moment,” she opened up.
She added that she is pretty good at learning her dialogues, so it is not that difficult for her to lip sync.
