When Kriti Malhotra embarked on a career as a costume designer in Bollywood, little did she imagine that someday she would be cast in one of the most awaited films of Aamir Khan. But what got her the role of Yasmin in Dhobi Ghat was her absolute determination of not wanting to act! After a futile and long-drawn search for Yasmin,
Kiran Rao, the director of Dhobi Ghat wrote in one of her notes — “We began to explore Facebook and found a pretty face called Kriti Malhotra — a simple, camera shy costume assistant who just didn’t want to act!”
But once on board, Kriti took time to get used to the new environment. “I’ve been on sets before, and with big stars too. But this time it was unnerving because all eyes were on me,” she recalls, adding, “But Aamir made us understand that acting is all about reacting. Since it was mostly a cast of newcomers, we had plenty of rehearsals and reading sessions.”
Being on a set was not new to Kriti, but being pampered like a star surely was. “I used to find it weird when I was offered a chair, or lunch or even when a car was sent to pick me up,” says Kriti.
Now, however, Kriti wants to explore her talents. “I will wait for the audience to react to my work, but yes, since I’ve had this golden opportunity, I’d definitely want to try my luck again,” she says.