EXCLUSIVE - JANNAT ZUBAIR RAHMANI: IT’S OKAY IF I’M NOT DOING A FILM BUT WHENEVER I DO I’LL DO ON MY PRINCIPLES, I'M READY TO WAIT
Jannat Zuabir Rahmani, who started her career as a child actor, has acted in numerous shows and became a household name after her path-breaking role of 'Phulwa'. She is not only a versatile actress but also a successful social media personality. Jannat enjoys a huge fan following on social media and has more followers than many Bollywood stars. The multi-talented actress recently turned singer and her song 'Babu Shona Mona' also became a huge hit. Jannat recently joined ETimes TV for our exclusive segment Tellyblazer where she spoke about her life, journey as a child actor and future plans.
You have been in this industry for so long as you started your journey as a child actor, when you look back at your journey, what do you feel?
I feel so happy thinking that I’ve been working forever. I was a toddler when I started working and because of this I don’t think I’ll ever regret in life that wish I would have started a bit early. A lot of people regret it later about having wasted some time of their life. But I’m fortunate that I’ve managed to live so many aspects career wise and I’ve also seen many things in my life. I met so many people, have had so many experiences. I am 21 but it makes me feel that “maine Ek 30 saal ke Umar ki insaan ke jitni zindagi jiya hai because I’ve worked as a child actor, travelled so much, met a lot of people, have seen so many adventures so I’ve feel blessed and I can’t wait to see, do and explore more.
How did your acting career start and what are the challenges you faced?
We had nobody in the industry and we did not have any contact. But my father somehow managed to get a contact. I used to do catalog shoots for children's wear and that’s how I started. The initial two three years were a huge struggle because I was a very shy kid. Everything was very new to me and I was not able to face the camera. I remember dad used to make me rehearse the lines and then we would go on the sets and after seeing the camera, I would forget all my lines. I used to not do anything and come back home. This lasted for two years, but my father did not give up and took me to the sets again. It took me a while to get comfortable with the camera and the environment. I don’t blame myself for that and neither did my father because I was very young and had not seen the environment of the sets, everything was new. The two years of learning was the difficult part but post that everything came naturally to me. It felt as if I was observing everything. I was only 6 years old.
You have been a part of the industry for more than a decade, do you ever feel that you missed out on your childhood?
It depends on person to person and how you are as a person. I am someone who is not very fond of playing outdoors or spending time playing games. I’ve always been work and career oriented because I started early. My parents were very supportive and I was never forced to do anything, I was always asked if I wanted to do something or if I didn't want to do anything at all. I chose to do it because I was enjoying it, I liked it. I remember the time when during my shoot as a child actor, there were other kids as well on the sets and they would play between the shots but I would not go out of my vanity. And if someone would ask me “why are you not playing?” I would simply say I am saving my energy for the shot. This is how my childhood was and I was never asked to do it or someone put into my mind. It came naturally to me and no offence to the ones who missed their childhood but it was their journey and they loved it. If you ask me I’ve not missed anything at all about my journey instead I think I’ve lived so much more.
Did you struggle to get roles during your teenage years when you were transitioning from a child actor to an adult?
Luckily, it never happened to me and there’s a reason for it. I did my last TV show as an adult actor when I’d just turned 16 years. During the launch of the show I was asked an unknown fact about me and while answering it I’d told everyone that this is going to be my last TV show. Why I said it was all planned. We had decided that I will do that show and then I’ll take a break from television and then I’ll see what new I can do. I took the decision because when you do the same thing for years, follow the same routine especially on TV where your entire day is blocked so I wanted to break that routine. I wanted to try something new and different.
Do you take responsibility for the kind of things you put on social media to not influence your audience in a wrong way?
It has always been there and the sense of responsibility did not come over a period of time, it was there since the beginning. It was there ever since I started posting videos on social media. My parents have also been so supportive that they have kept an eye and have given their suggestions. They’ve always told me you shouldn’t do something for which you face backlash or you upset your audience. There are a certain kinds of brands, Apps that I do not promote because I feel they are not appropriate for my audience. It has happened multiple times repeatedly and even two days ago there was a query but my father politely refused. We have certain principles and values and the dos and don’ts are very clear.
You have always been firm about not doing bold scenes, did it ever bother you that you might not get work?
It depends on the individual and it is a personal choice. There are so many films, shows that are not just made in India but overseas also which have bold content, we watch it. There’s nothing wrong in it and our choice is not something that happened over the time, it was always in the plan. Do’s se zyaada we take care of don’ts. It requires a lot of power or courage to say no to a project which you know will have something bold and if you turn it down someone else might do it. We have said No multiple times over the years. It’s okay if I’m not doing a film but if I do a film I would do it on my principles and conditions. We are happy to wait and even if it doesn’t happen it is fine anyways I’m doing so well. I can do something else and showcase my talent.
How was the phase after you took the bold decision of not doing a 'kissing scene' for Tu Aashiqui? Did the industry treat you differently?
During that time I was 16/17 I don’t clearly remember but we were very sure of our decision. It needs a lot of courage to stick to your principles and going bold is not everything. Even our decision making was bold and I like that and I learnt it from my parents. I look up to my father and when I see him fearlessly being bold, not thinking about the future or the repercussions. He did not think if I’m saying no now and what if 10 years later Jannat gets a big project which demands such scenes, I might regret my current decision. He did not think twice before saying no because he was very confident about his decision. And touchwood even after so many years I don’t get a single negative comment. I’ve only received positive reviews.
You have been singing songs professionally lately, tell us about your shift from acting to singing?
After acting when I turned 18, I came up with a song 'Ishq Farzi' and after 4 years, we came up with Babu Shona Mona. After my last song, I decided to take singing as a serious profession and I've recorded my next song already for which I have shot also recently. I used to sing at home and my father felt I have a good voice, he encouraged me. I am a very shy singer and whenever I record my song, I do it alone. I ask my father not to come for the recording. It just happened and I hope I get better at it. And I just hope the way effortlessly I can act in front of 200-300 people, I get the same confidence for my singing.
