Sara Ali Khan: Girl of the Moment

The month of December belongs to Sara Ali Khan. At long last, after a stretch of three years and some more, the daughter of Saif Ali Khan and his former wife Amrita Singh, is being launched with two high-profile films: Abhishek Kapoor's Kedarnath and Rohit Shetty's Simmba.
In fact, 2018 may well be remarkable for introducing two Bollywood family talents: Sara and Janhvi Kapoor, daughter of the late Sridevi and Boney Kapoor. The latter made her debut with the well-liked Dhadak, opposite Ishaan Khatter, which was produced by Karan Johar. Both in terms of personality and attitude, the debutantes seem to have what it takes to become quintessential Bollywood heroines.
Indeed, from the moment Sara was in her teenage years, she had been noticed by filmmakers who wished to cast her in their films as soon as she was ready to take the plunge into showbusiness.
I had met her at the premiere of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black, some 12 years ago. Dressed in a shimmering emerald green lehenga, her head covered demurely with a dupatta, she had displayed amazing grace. "Salaam valekum," she had said quietly. On being asked the inevitable question about whether she was contemplating an acting career, she had shyly responded, "That's not my call to take," and, after a pause, had added, "Like all parents, mine want me to complete my education before thinking of a career." That she completed from the Columbia University in New York.
Indeed, dad Saif Ali Khan had categorically stated in an interview, "Anyone in the world would give their left arm to go to an Ivy League University. I wish someone would have told her that I would have her shot if she even thinks about leaving college. This degree is your only passport - from the husband that beats you to a country that collapses economically, you can survive everything. She can get a job anywhere in the world. It would be foolish of her to leave that to act. She can do that after she completes her education. She can't throw this to be stuck working in one profession. That is limiting yourself."
Sara has been brought up with exemplary manners by her mother Amrita, who has ensured that she kickstarts her career with the right project. Easier wished for than done, perhaps. At the outset, Sara was tipped to act opposite Ishaan Khatter in a film to be helmed by the Aashiqui 2 director Mohit Suri. Next, the buzz was that she would be groomed and presented by Karan Johar opposite Tiger Shroff in the sequel to his Student of the Year, which incidentally had introduced Alia Bhatt a few years ago.
However, the next thing you know, Sara had been pencilled in by Abhishek Kapoor who has directed such hits as Rock On!! and Kai Po Che!. The shoot began for Abhishek Kapoor's Kedarnath, which ran into production snafus mid-way. Fortuitously, these were sorted out after a couple of months. Designed as an opulently-mounted romance, the film narrates the story of a well-heeled girl who takes off on a pilgrimage to the famous Kedarnath temple, where she meets a Muslim tourist guide, portrayed by Sushsant Singh Rajput. The finale features the recreation of the sudden rains of 2013 that devastated the region around the temple.
Since Kedarnath was delayed in its making, Amrita Singh was astute enough to allow Sara to take on the heroine's role in Simmba, a no-holds barred commercial entertainer with Ranveer Singh in the lead. Directed by Rohit Shetty for Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, the action-crammed romedy is expected to amass huge opening collections at the very least.
December, then, will be a double whammy for the 25-year-old Sara, who has struck a cool and savvy image in the course of the publicity campaigns, topped by a spontaneous conversation with her father Saif Ali Khan in Johar's hugely popular TV show Koffee With Karan.
Over the years, her mother Amrita Singh has made it a point to encourage Sara and her brother Ibrahim to maintain constant contact with their father Saif, with whom she separated many years ago, and bond with his second wife Kareena Kapoor.
In fact, Amrita had once told me, "Sara is so much more intelligent than I am. She keeps her poise and does the right thing, which is in keeping with the millennial generation. At her age, I used to be quite hot-headed. She is just the opposite."
Active on social media, Sara has managed to attract a hefty fan base on Instagram (she already has about 1.5 million followers on the platform). Meanwhile, the paparazzi follows her every move, whether she's at the gym or out with her friends for a girl's night out at a restaurant.
As for the incessantly watchful Bollywood grapevine, so far they have linked her with Anil Kapoor's son Harshvardhan and one Veer Pahariya, who comes from a political family. However, right now it is being said that she is unattached, and is focusing on her career.
Be that as it may, one more heroine of a film family pedigree is here. Kedarnath releases this week, followed by Simmba later this month.
While promoting the film, she's bound to be quizzed about nepotism, and whether it was easy for her to secure a big break since both her parents are of film lineage. I would rather like to believe that Sara Ali Khan has what it takes to shine a light and will assert that stardom isn't exactly a cakewalk.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com