22 years of Joggers’ Park: Perizaad Zorabian in an old unpublished interview, “I’m not cut out to be a conventional heroine”
Director Anant Balani’s Joggers’ Park complete 22 years today. The film was an unusual romantic drama starring Perizaad Zorabian and Victor Banerjee. On the film’s anniversary, here’s visiting Perizaad’s old unpublished interview.
How has Joggers’ Park changed your life?
Everyone has opened their eyes to me. Joggers’ Park has put me in a different league. Mr Subhash Ghai could’ve got any Bollywood actress for the role. But he chose me. He took a huge risk. What if I didn’t work with a Hindi-speaking audience? But Pritish Nandy and Mahesh Dattani didn’t cast me after seeing Joggers’ Park.
Though you’re barely a year old in films, you’ve already worked with the biggest stalwarts of Bollywood
Can you imagine my co-star in my first film was Om Puri? Then it was Victor Banerjee in Joggers’ Park. He used to tease me and rag me all the time. He’s gorgeous. I think he’s quite hot (chuckles). And now I’m working with Shabana Azmi in Morning Raga. I’m lucky to be working with the best. Just watching how Shabana works makes me feel so good. She’s something else. Each time I watch her act my jaw hangs down. She’s so helpful. And she plays my Carnatic music teacher. Since I look up to her in real life, it’s easy for me to play her pupil.
I came straight from Anant Balani’s films to Morning Raga. It’s an entirely different experience. I play this girl who goes from the city to the village to learn Carnatic music. Can you ever in your wildest dream expect Perizad Zorabian to sing Carnatic music? I learnt to sing for a month (bursts into an alaap). Good na? I can’t tell you how tough it was. I was tearing my hair out. The good thing about me is, I’m learning all the time.
You’ve also done television
Yes, but only one serial called Hum Pardesi Ho Gaye, and that too only because everyone told me how good Sanjay Upadhyay was with his job. He’s brilliant with actors. It was a 52-episode thingy. I wanted to try out my shaky Hindi on television before moving to the movies. You know, I was dying to have Mr Subhash Ghai dub my voice on Joggers’ Park. But he was adamant. I cried and tried to every trick in the book to make him change his mind. Thank God Mr Ghai drilled sense into me. He scolded me saying, ‘Are you mad? Tumko award nahin milega.’ My character Jenny speaks non-stop. If someone else had spoken for her, the character would’ve collapsed. I think my voice gave character to Jenny.
You did two films with Balani before his death
Yeah, Joggers’ Park and Mumbai Matinee. I kept telling him, if these films succeed we’d be a hit jodi. He was such a darling. We got along like a house on fire. I’m featured in two completely contrasting roles in Joggers’ Park and Mumbai Matinee. Anant’s death was the cruelest and hardest thing I’ve dealt with in life. But it was my producer Mr Pritish Nandy who wanted me for Mumbai Matinee. He had seen me in Bollywood Calling.
Are you at all like your character Jenny in Joggers’ Park?
I wish I could be. We’re both spunky. But she has a strange strength. She can deal with the worst of situations in life. I can’t. I crumble very easily. I get shattered by even a bad review. I don’t know how I’ll cope with showbiz. Anyway I’m not cut out to be a conventional heroine. Audiences won’t accept me. Joggers’ Park is as far as I go. I didn’t want to limit myself to an English speaking audience. You do want your performance to be seen by more than 20 people. Joggers’ and Mumbai Matinee are in Hindi. But they still target themselves at a sensibility that I can identify with.
Has the response to Joggers’ Park been good?
The number of people who’ve seen Joggers’ Park is so gratifying. When we did the music release, so many press persons turned up, thanks to Mr Ghai’s name. I never realized how powerful he is. I am not a stranger to media attention. But this was something else altogether. Can you believe, Joggers’ Park is playing at Times Square even as we speak?! I’m so glad I’m in it. Everyone at Mr Ghai’s production was so helpful. I was always whining and cribbing. I never think I’m good enough. Being a Scorpion I’m really hyper. Acting makes me even more so. You never know if a shot is going to work or not.
How did you get into films?
There was a co-ordinator for Bollywood Calling, who was looking for the right face. Apparently, they couldn’t find anyone for six months. I think the fact that I attended Lee Strasberg’s acting school helped me (laughs). I auditioned. Ten days later I was doing Bollywood Calling. I was really lucky to get such a break.
Your next release is around the corner
Yeah. But I’m glad Joggers’ Park came first. It’s the more difficult subject for the audience to accept. If it hadn’t worked, I’d have died. Mumbai Matinee is a more young hip flick. Fortunately, in Mumbai Matinee, I play a completely different character from Joggers’ Park. Jenny is the wild one. In Mumbai Matinee, my character Sonali is far more grounded. In Joggers’ Park, Mr Ghai let me speak and behave like I do in real life.
What next?
I play a Bollywood heroine in Tanuja Chandra’s Stardust. I think Tanuja will rock. She is so cool. I don’t like to work with people who’ve a nakhra-jhakra. I’ve a film called Arranged Marriage in English, which I’ll shoot in the US for a month and a half as soon as I finish with Morning Raga. They’re planning a mainstream American release for Arranged Marriage, like Monsoon Wedding. I can’t believe I’ve already worked with such a variety of filmmakers! I’m so glad so many different kind of films are being made. I’m glad to be at the right place at the right time. Mr Ghai told me I’d sign on many films because I’m a Mukta Arts heroine. I just need to keep my head on my shoulders.
You’re almost like male Rahul Bose
That’s quite a compliment. He’s my costar in Mumbai Matinee. I joked with him, ‘Dude if it works, it’s because of me.’ You know, I never thought I’d be a serious actress. I was in it just for fun. So, I did Latin and African dancing classes. But in spite of training I was so shy dancing in Joggers’ Park! I was holding back because I didn’t want to look vulgar. Though I know I can’t be a conventional leading lady, I so want to do a typical jhatka-matka number. Bollywood is supposed to be full of jerks. But I disagree. It all depends on how one conducts oneself. Don’t you think?
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