Acting is my Nirvana, says actor Perizaad

Now a businesswoman, now a mother. But at heart, a quintessential performer. Actor Perizaad Zorabian says she misses being an actor. In town to judge a youth talent hunt show at Chandigarh Group of Colleges, she says, “Acting is my nirvana, my happy place. I’m not a wife, a mother, a businesswoman then. I’m not even myself. It’s just the character I’m playing. I do miss acting sometimes.”

The feisty 42-year-old actor, who made her Bollywood debut with Nagesh Kukunoor in Bollywood Calling (2001), is most remembered for her breakthrough role as the confident, vivacious Jenny Suratwala in the film Jogger’s Park (2003) opposite actor Victor Banerjee.

India’s got Talent

A classical ballet dancer, Perizaad has trained in the dance form for 12 years. “There’s no dearth of talent in this country. We visit 15 cities for this talent hunt every year and I’m amazed at how much potential there is in this country.” So, why isn’t this talent getting recognised on a larger scale despite such shows?

She says, “It’s all about exposure and training. Whatever these youngsters are doing here today is out of pure passion. And yet, they’re so good. Imagine if this talent was tapped in a more constructive way? Given more opportunities? Most of them, in fact most of us, are burdened by ‘what we are supposed to do’.”

Asked to elaborate on the kind of exposure the youth needs in such fields, she says, “Their minds are boxed, thanks to Bollywood and popular culture. That limits them from exploring alternative forms. They need to know there’s a world beyond Bollywood.”

Perizaad has two little ones of her own – eight-year-old daughter Zaha and six-year-old son Zayan. She believes that it’s important for kids to get onto the stage because it can make a big difference in shaping their personalities and banishing the fear of an audience.

Age of social media

But, what does she think about the continuous need to be connected virtually with the age of social media upon us? “It’s terrible, don’t you think? Everyone’s vocal on social media; everyone has an opinion. It’s appalling to see 13-year-olds vying for attention on Instagram and Facebook, bothered about how many likes they got on their latest picture,” says Perizaad.

‘Live your dream’

So, what’s her message to the youth in times such as these? She says, with a lot of conviction in her voice, “Live your dream, no matter how bizarre the world thinks it is. Whatever you dream, find a way to begin it. Boldness has power, genius and magic.”