I am not at all offensive: Farah Khan

Farah Khan on her weight issues, her T20 experiments and more in an interview with TOI

Farah Khan knows how to don different thinking caps, for sure. After hogging the limelight as a choreographer and a director; post her acting stint in Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, Farah has just embraced cricket, albeit in a different way. While the IPL fervour has left Farah completely engrossed teaching every cricket zealot in the country how to dance to a four or a six, an honest Farah acknowledges that she had to really work hard while choreographing steps for cricket shots for the IPL this year. Excerpts from an interview:

Glamour and IPL are almost inseparable. How does it feel to add your share of glam to the sixth edition of IPL?
I don't think I would be in the top 20 list of glam people of IPL. I just connect to the normal people. And that's what I tried to do when I choreographed the moves. I relate to everyone because I'm approachable and relatable. IPL's become a huge brand with its unique entertainment value.

Do you intend to take up roles or activities in the future which you could relate to the most?
Absolutely. For me being down to earth weighs more than the glam quotient. As an actor, I would be more comfortable doing films where I can be my real self, which would bring the best of me on screen. However on the sets, I become a hard task master. I do shout and I act tough, but I am not at all offensive. That's the tougher me.

Do you follow sports religiously?
Honestly speaking, I am not a sports addict, but I do follow cricket. But yes, while choreographing for the Sirf Dekhne Ka Nahi campaign, I got to learn a lot of cricket. It was a great feeling because the feedback on the social networking sites has been overwhelming. I had come up with lot of versions for the fours, sixes and out. I also took feedback from people to come up with better stuff.

You seemed to have worked on your weighty issues?
After I saw Shirin Farhad, I felt so sad to see how fat I was looking on screen. Then, I got determined to pull on my socks to work it out and get back in shape. So I did gym sessions, followed Pooja Mahija's diet and in 6 months I lost 10 kilos. There were times when I would not fit into the clothes that I wanted to wear. Now I have managed to become size 14 and I am size L which is better than a size of XXL or something. It was time I worked on my physique because it's been five years since I gave birth to my triplets.

Since your kids are growing up, they must be curious about their mother getting all the attention and being captured on the camera.
Yes, in fact they ask me all sorts of questions, which I answer with honesty. Whenever they see me on a billboard they just scream. Once they saw Kuch Kuch Hota Hai where I did a cameo with Nikhil Advani. After watching the scene they went ballistic and started asking me, 'mama, who's he with you?' They even ask me a lot of questions when I'm going out in the night.