This January, Alaya Furniturewala made a smashing debut with Jawaani Jaaneman. But her debut was followed by a global pandemic which restricted the things she could have explored. But she has found ways to keep herself busy. Excerpts from an interview:
Q/ Growing up, you were not keen on being an actor. After all that reluctance, how has been the experience so far?
A/ It was that one moment when I was acting and I remember feeling so much joy while doing it. It was so rewarding to see people watching me and then giving me feedback…. I am normally a planned and organised person. This was the most impulsive thing I did. I dropped out of filmmaking school and went into acting without even knowing if I could do it. And it all paid off.
Q/ You come from a family of artistes (mother Pooja Bedi, grandfather Kabir Bedi, grandmother Protima Bedi). They say star kids have it easy. But you said you faced a few rejections.
A/ Everyone’s struggle and journey is different. Some people get a film right after school, some people struggle for years. When you get into this industry, you are never sure where you fall in this spectrum. It also depends on luck, so much work, and a combination of so many things that you cannot control. I was just very vocal about my story and what my journey was…. I am glad that it took a lot of people by surprise. I am glad a lot of people listened.
Q/ You also changed your name from Alia to Alaya to avoid being confused with Alia Bhatt.
A/ It didn’t make sense to keep the same name. I could have, but I just wanted my own identity. I couldn’t change it entirely because people have known me as Alia for my entire life. But I thought if there can be a Ranbir and a Ranveer, there can be an Alia and Alaya.
Q/ Of late, you have been very active on social media. How difficult is it to be creative now?
A/ Honestly, I finally have time to be on social media…. I kind of lost what my identity was on social media and focused more on learning my craft, which I am glad I did. With the lockdown, social media is the only way that I can be visible right now…. It has given me time to put thought into it and create things that people really enjoy. But sometimes it gets irritating that you have to constantly post. These are very privileged struggles…. It feels stupid even saying it, knowing what the situation is out there and how people are having such a hard time. There are so many problems. But one has to keep oneself productive and engaged, otherwise mental health suffers.