Katrina Kaif brings her A-game to the Da-Bangg show

Prepare to watch a top notch act from Bollywood diva Katrina Kaif at the dance-music extravaganza, Da-Bangg: The Tour-Reloaded Live Concert, in Dubai this weekend

Katrina Kaif is undoubtedly one of the most famous dancing stars currently in the Hindi film industry. No wonder she is one of the biggest attractions at Da-Bangg: The Tour-Reloaded Live Concert. The actress will be joining Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonakshi Sinha, Prabhu Deva, Daisy Shah, Guru Randhawa and Manish Paul on March 15, at Dubai Festival City Mall, South Festival Bay to dance to some top Bollywood hits. 
Katrina completed 15 years in the film industry last year, having made her Hindi film debut with Kaizad Gustad's Boom in 2003. The actress has danced to popular songs like Sheila Ki Jawani, Chikni Chameli, Husn Parcham, Mashallah, Suraiyya and Afghan Jalebi. On the acting front, she received lots of love and appreciation for her portrayal as Babita Kumari in Zero last year. In a recent interview with City Times, the actress spoke about life post Zero, why happiness and pain are equally important in our journey and how she gives her 100 per cent to each and every stage show. Excerpts from the interview: 
 
You got rave reviews for Zero. Did you anticipate so much love for your performance or did it come as a surprise to you?
I am delighted with the reviews I got for my role in Zero. We worked hard on that performance. There was a lot that went into it, from my director Anand L Rai, our writer Himanshu Rai and myself, in terms of how we wanted this character to be very real and relatable. We wanted her to feel very new. We have seen a lot of actresses play alcoholic characters on screen, but we wanted this one to have a particular take to it. I think I am thrilled with the way audiences have responded. It is one of my favourites. It was an incredible experience to play the character of Babita Kumari, and I am glad that people have resonated so well and given me such a fantastic feedback. 
 
If we go through your recent interviews, you come across as one of the most sorted and calm person in the industry. Does this wisdom come from life experiences, reading a good book or listening to motivational talks?
I think that life teaches you what you are meant to know and I think the best thing that one can do, according to me, is to try and learn from every situation that you are in. So whether it be learning from a book or listening to a show/talk/speech or whether it's learning from people or situations around you or your work environment, that's what I continually try and do. I am always on the lookout as to what I can imbibe from every experience. You cannot read a book and magically become wise in one day. I don't feel that wisdom is a destination, I think that it is a journey and that's what I think about most things in life. We see happiness as a destination, we see love as a destination - but for me, these are journeys that will sometimes bring happiness and pain. I don't think I have figured out ways of life or that I have unique wisdom. But yes, I make the most of every day that I have. 
 
There's a lot of buzz around Bharat, and as per reports, it is not an easy film to make. Is Bharat one of your most challenging films. Why?
For me, Salman Khan and our director Ali Abbas Zafar, Bharat is an extraordinary film. This is my third film with Ali. He is my closest friend, and I am also very involved with him. I am observant of his journey as a director. He is challenging himself in the way that he is telling stories in his films. Every film that I see of his, I feel that his voice is growing stronger and a certain kind of storytelling is becoming unique to him. For me, Bharat is very special because it is one of the most important roles in my career, and I have worked hard for it. The journey so far has been enjoyable and fulfilling. I am hopeful for a positive outcome.   
 
Are you excited about performing in Dubai? 
I am incredibly excited about performing in Dubai. It is one of my favourite cities in the world. Stage performance is something that I really enjoy. It's been a big part of me and what I like to do. I have done many stage shows, and it's something that always excites me. 
 
Since the show is on such a big scale, how many days/weeks of hard work goes behind it from your end?
The Da-Bangg tour is of a big scale, and we all work hard for it. The organisers stop at nothing as they try to make our acts more significant  and grander - from lighting, design and the props. They ensure that the show we are delivering is spectacular. This is a show in which we have already performed, hence the main act is already set and we usually go on set with that act. However, in my case, I have had two releases and quite a few popular songs since the last Da-Bangg tour in America. So I am incorporating some new songs in the Dubai act like Suraiyya and Manzoor-e Khuda from Thugs of Hindostan and Husn Parcham from Zero. I wanted to include these songs for everyone to be able to enjoy the show.
 
When you travel abroad for shows like this, do you guys hang out after the event or do you go your own way?
After the show, there is an excellent sense of energy and everyone is in a mood to have a good time because all the stress is gone. Everybody wants to chill out most of the time. It also depends on everyone's mood. But after this show, we are planning to do a shoot in Dubai itself. So I will be busy working the next day.
 
The UAE will give you an opportunity to perform in front of your South Asian fans. Do you think that art brings people closer?
I am incredibly excited to perform in the UAE and in front of everybody who is a fan of Hindi cinema and music. I think shows like these are an excellent opportunity for us to interact with audiences from other countries. I always look forward to such opportunities. 
 
The Da-Bangg show is a successful franchise now. What's the best memory that you can recall from the tour? 
The best memory for me was at the Atlanta show in the US. It was my first show with the group. It was an incredible experience - euphoric, and the energy on stage was just out of the world. It was a special show. 
 
Do you have any routines that you perform before going on stage?
Before going on stage, you need to get your energy up, although ultimately you need to feel relaxed and calm. But you need specific energy to gather when you perform on stage. Performing on stage is one part of our job that takes the most amount of power at one particular time to sustain consistent dancing and high energy performance. You need to psyche yourself up to it and work yourself leading up to the performance. There is a certain kind of zone you want to get into before getting on the stage, then you go out there and give your best.
arti@khaleejtimes.com
 

Show details:
 
When: Friday, March 15
Gates open: 7pm
Show starts: 9pm
Venue: Dubai Festival City Mall, South Festival Bay
Tickets are available at dubai.platinumlist.net