Farhan rocks Sydney!
By Neeru Saluja
He’s a talented actor. An ace director. A soulful poet and a creative writer. He’s been blessed with a voice as good as his looks. He belongs to a family infused with creative genes but he stands apart.
My admiration for him started in 2001 when he entered our lives with ”˜Dil Chahta Hai’ and brought a fresh outlook towards love and friendship. He rocked his way with ”˜Rock On’ and taught us how to live life with ”˜Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’. Since then, mera dil always chahta hai to meet the powerhouse of talent ”“ no one else but Farhan Akhtar!
TIDU’s Bollywood reporter Neeru Saluja with Farhan Akhtar at Haveli restaurant in Sydney
Thanks to Rock On Entertainment, not only me but Sydney got a chance to witness the charisma and magic of the multi-talented star. The man who introduced Sydney in many of our lives ”“ rocked the city as he came to perform at Sydney Town Hall. Never before have we witnessed such a rocking non-stop two hours performance where he made the audience sing, dance and swoon!
While in the evening Sydneysiders witnessed his tremendous energy on the stage, the Indian Down Under was fortunate to meet him in person as soon he arrived from the airport. Dressed casually in shorts and a black jacket, Farhan did not show a single sign of tiredness and got straight to answering our questions and posing for photos.
When Farhan was in Sydney 15 years ago for Dil Chahta Hai, he was a quiet boy making his directorial debut and scouting urban locations. So what made him fell in love with Sydney? “It started off as more of an accidental trip. We were looking for a location for the film. It had to be summers as we wanted to give the film a warm look. The time that we had from Aamir and Preity were the winter months in the northern hemisphere so we had to look for something down under. So we arrived in Australia where we were taken to a few cities. The vibe of Sydney, the architecture of the place, the suburbs, the contrasting looks, the wonderful people ”“all combined made me feel this is the place to come” says Farhan.
After Dil Chahta Hai, Farhan continued to direct films and his next film Lakshya was about finding oneself. “I was a bit confused when I came up with the song ”˜Main aisa kyon hun’, confides Farhan. Though it was an experiment by him, the song proved to be a hit and marked his entry into the music world.
He made his acting and singing debut with ”˜Rock On’ for which he wrote the dialogues and ended up singing five songs. So when you write your music how do you best describe it? “There are two facets to it. In most instances we are making music for a film. The lyrics and the mood of the song is then determined by what is happening in the film. That is a different approach. Now we are working to create original music. And that is just about digging deep, and trying to find the source within you, that inspires you. Then everything flows out on it’s own,” describes Farhan.
Farhan has not looked back since his acting debut. No one can forget his performance in Zindagi Na Milege Dobara and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag which fetched him the best actor award. A question that we can’t not ask, is how did he get so fit for this role? “For me the whole love of sport started from school. I used to run in school and represent my school for races. But it was a total different experience when I met Milkha Singh in person. He told me about his real life and his limited resources. To find that ambition, desire, hunger and discipline to achieve something was highly inspirational. It took me 8 months of preparation for that film and then we shot the film for one and half year. So for two years I was living and breathing the life of an athlete. I never felt better, healthier, more invincible, safer and stronger because if I knew someone hit me I could run fast,” tells Farhan.
Farhan has tasted success in all fields at a very young age. And when we ask him who he credits his success to, he tells us to tell his mother as she was really stressed when he was growing up! “I think genetics has a role to play in influencing the interests. Because we grew up in an environment that constantly talked about films and music. We were very lucky to have some amazing poets come to our house when we were kids. Great singers came, recited and sang songs. As a child you want to belong to that world. My father installed the value of discipline of work in me. He credited the value of whatever you do – do your best.”
Besides writing, directing and singing, what do you do for yourself to unwind? “As many of you know, I enjoy ski diving, playing the guitar, reading books, watching films and hanging out with friends. I’m missing my family but it’s not that bad as this tour is short. It’s hard when you have to go for a shoot that takes you away from home for 2-3 months.”
Though his Australia tour was short, it was the most memorable start to 2015. Farhan proved to be a powerhouse of talent on stage with his upbeat songs, soulful poetry and ”˜Senorita’ dance moves! He touched the hearts of many by dancing with his fans and shaking hands whenever he could. Farhan arrived asking Sydney to dance throughout the show, and left everyone asking for just more!
“Goodbye Sydney… You were an amazing audience!! What a fun night.. Dil Chahta hai that we come back soon.. Shine On!” tweets Farhan as he leaves Sydney.
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