Shikha Talsania promises laughs in rebooted 'Coolie No.1'

Mumbai - The actress weighs in on comparisons to the original and working with a talented ensemble cast.

by

Enid Grace Parker

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Published: Wed 23 Dec 2020, 2:09 PM

Actress Shikha Talsania has come a long way since her sparkling debut in the 2009 coming-of-age film Wake Up Sid alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sensharma.

The daughter of veteran Bollywood and television actor Tiku Talsania, who created iconic comic characters in films like Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin and Andaz Apna Apna, Shikha was last seen on the big screen as the funny, bubbly Meera Sood Stinson in buddy film Veere Di Wedding.


Shikha continues to prove that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, with her penchant for comedy, and is all set to showcase her talents once more in the remake of David Dhawan’s 1995 laugh riot Coolie No.1. The movie, which will release on Amazon Prime Video on December 25, boasts an ensemble cast of talented comedians like Paresh Rawal, Johny Lever, Rajpal Yadav and Jaaved Jaaferi.

Over a chat on Zoom, Shikha revealed more about her role in the film which prior to release is polarising audiences, as most remakes do. “Sara Ali Khan and I play sisters. Our father is the fantastic Paresh Rawal and we are taking on an entertaining, comedy-of-errors journey with Kunwar Saab and Raju (both Varun Dhawan).”


Shikha Talsania with Sara Ali Khan, Varun Dhawan and Sahil Vaid in 'Coolie No.1'.
Shikha Talsania with Sara Ali Khan, Varun Dhawan and Sahil Vaid in 'Coolie No.1'.

Weighing in on ongoing comparisons with the original film, Shikha encouraged even hardcore fans to give the new Coolie No.1 a chance. “Well, if you enjoyed the original you’re going to enjoy this as well, even more so, I would hope (fingers crossed)! It’s going to be a very entertaining Christmas!”

With so many talented co-stars, Shikha described the experience of filming Coolie No.1 as “non-stop laughter and non-stop fun”.

When asked who was the funniest person on set, and whether the jokes continued off the set as well, she said, “Constantly. I don’t know if I can rate people on their humour - I mean you have Johny uncle, Paresh uncle, David Sir, Rajpal and Jaaved ji and Varun. So I don’t think I can really pick one person. But it was so entertaining to be on set, I would literally just sit in a corner and look at everybody and go, ‘this is the best day of my life’.”

‘Don’t take yourself too seriously’

From 2009’s Wake Up Sid to 2018’s Veere Di Wedding and some diverse projects in between, Shikha spoke of how she has evolved professionally.

“Hopefully I’ve become a better actor, with the amount of work that I’ve observed and been a part of. This is for everybody who has been watching my performances to say, really, if they have gotten something more entertaining, interesting or different. Personally I have learned so much, and one thing I have realised is, don’t take yourself too seriously. Your work is everything for sure, and it does hold a lot of (weight); it is the love of my life and the most important thing in my life but have fun while you’re at it, and make the effort to keep in touch with the wonderful people that you meet on every project.”

With her dad having been a part of the film industry for so long, does she ever go to him for advice? “I approach my parents for almost everything, and vice versa, but we decided long ago that we were first individuals when it came to our professions; of course we’re there for advice and use each other as sounding boards. I’m just really fortunate that I have a great relationship with them. But at the end of the day we all know that each one of us is going to make our own decisions and learn whatever we might from that.”

Lessons from Covid

Like most actors, Shikha had little to do professionally during the lockdown in India, as most entertainment productions were postponed due to the pandemic. She joked about becoming a ‘domestic goddess’ during this time, and touched on the lessons learned from a drastically changed world.

“The biggest lesson I learned is awareness - of what is happening around us and the different ways one can help - how one can be useful and kind. I’ve learned how to be a domestic goddess - and there’s no one else to judge so I think I’m fantastic! (Laughs) I’ve learned how to make eggs in 15 different ways! And I’ve learned that it’s okay to slow down. We need to really take in the gravity of the situation and hopefully get out of it saner, healthier and kind!”

A lot of stars were overactive on their social media handles during the Covid lockdown, indulging in pursuits that ranged from the innovative to the cringe-worthy. Shikha admitted that she is heavily into social media, but knows when to quit for the day. “I’m addicted to my Instagram for sure. How do I handle trolls? On Tuesdays I’m sarcastic, on Wednesdays I ignore them and on Fridays I just send them love. To be very honest I get a lot more love than I get trolled so I tend to focus on that. And depending on my mood, sometimes I interact with people and sometimes I don’t. You have to stop at some point because you could be talking about photosynthesis, and the person on the other side has understood that you’re talking about how to bake a cake… (laughs), so that conversation is not going to go anywhere! That’s the time you have to go ‘okay I am going to switch it off now’.

On that note she went on to thank her UAE fans for their continued love and support, “We have made Coolie No.1 with a lot of love and laughs and I hope you’re going to laugh and dance to it and enjoy it; I’ll see you on Christmas!”


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