Working with Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman is on the bucket list of many Bollywood actresses and Anushka Sharma, who has shared screen space with the Khan trio, said that she is grateful to them for helping her reach out to a wider audience.
Anushka made her debut in the film industry in 2008 with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi opposite Shah Rukh Khan and in the 2014 film PK, she featured opposite Aamir Khan. She will soon be seen in Salman Khan's Sultan.
"For me, as an actor, it is great to work with the Khans, who have every possible experience one can have in the film industry. They have been around for more than two decades. There is a lot one can observe and learn when you are working with them. Apart from that, I am very grateful that because of them, my work is reaching out to more people," Anushka told.
In Sultan, which has been directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Anushka will be seen playing a Haryanvi wrestler. The female lead of the film was anticipated before Anushka's name was announced. However, the actress said that she was not aware of any such stories or speculations floating around the film, which is slated to release this Eid.
"As a person and as an actor, I try to take as little information about what is happening around me as possible. I focus on what I have to do. I don't read newspapers. I don't read anything that has come out. Only if something wrong has been written about me, my publicist sends me the article so that I can take action against them. Otherwise I don't read anything," said Anushka.
"So, I don't have any idea what was going on. I was only concerned when my time started. When Adi (Aditya Chopra) called me, he asked me if I wanted to do it. After hearing the script, I came on board. That is when my journey began and that is what matters to me," added Anushka.
For Anushka, 28, the director plays a very important role.
"For me, the director and the script is paramount. For me, it is always good script and in doing that I have been fortunate that I got to work with wonderful actors. Not just the Khans but also actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Sushant Singh Rajput, Imran Khan and others. It has been wonderful," said Anushka.
Anushka described her character Aarfa in Sultan as a rooted person, who is very mature for her age. Since Anushka joined the film late, she had just six weeks to prepare for her role. "I was up for the challenge. I really liked my role. The only thing that I was worried about was that I didn't have enough time to prepare for the role. For a film like this, you would want three to four months of proper training. But I had less than six weeks to prepare," said Anushka.
Anushka, however, is happy that her hard work is paying off as the audience has her character in the trailer and songs.
"It was a very packed schedule for me. I don't know how these six months have passed but all in all, I am very happy that people believe I am a wrestler. So, it was all worth it," said Anushka.
Anushka said that with the role, she is trying to break the perception that female wrestlers are always bulky. When she researched about the subject, she found out that most international female wrestlers have a lean built.
"I knew that I have a certain perception to break. I look a certain way and I have always been lean. During my research, I found that you don't have to be wide-framed. There are many who are toned. I realised that is what I have to work towards," said Anushka.
Her chemistry with her co-star Salman Khan has also garnered favourable response from fans and Anushka attributes it to their starkly different personalities.
"The beauty of the casting is that it is so unconventional. It added a different dimension. Our approach is very different. There is a weirdly organic energy that comes between actors who are so different from one another," said Anushka.
