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From Facebook to Teen Patti!

Being Shakti Kapoor's daughter and Padmini Kholapure's niece, it's only a matter of time before Shraddha Kapoor followed in their footsteps.

Her debut is Leena Yadav's Teen Patti, a film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sir Ben Kingsley and R Madhavan. The starlet is one of the four newcomers in the movie which is supposedly a remake of Kevin Spacey's 21.

Shraddha spills the beans about the whole experience to Nithya Ramani.

You must have been over the moon when you found that you would be sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan and Sir Ben Kingsley...

Oh my God! I couldn't believe it! I still haven't absorbed it all. I was on top of the world and so was my family. I was also a nervous wreck. I kept thinking, "What if I goof this up? What will they think of me?" But after working with them, my fears subsided. They were very giving and I learnt so much from them. They were so open and had absolutely no airs about themselves.

I will always be grateful to Ambika [Hinduja, producer] and Leena for giving me the role. 

Your father must be proud. How was it growing up as his daughter?

He is a very fun loving father and a very funny man at home too. He always makes us laugh. That doesn't mean he isn't strict when the situation demands it. But he would make me understand things about life using humour as a medium.

Did you wanted to do things but couldn't or wasn't allowed to because of your background?

There were certain things that were different. My father wouldn't let me travel by rickshaws, though I wanted to.

Did you visit him on the sets when he was working?

I used to. When I was big enough, he would let me watch fight sequences. He would always explain to me that what he did on screen was different from what he did in real life. 

'My father and aunt enticed me into the profession'

Did watching your father in action inspire you to take up acting?

I have grown up watching my father and aunt's films. They seemed to be enjoying their lives. So yes, they enticed me into the profession. Going on the sets cemented my decision.

So how did Teen Patti happened?

It's a very interesting story. Ambika saw my picture on Facebook. She knew my brother from school and so she put two and two together and asked him if I was interested in films. He knew I was and said as much. I met her, read the script and auditioned for the role. Now here I am playing Aparna Khanna.

'My father became emotional on seeing me perform'

Did you consult your father and your aunt?

Absolutely. My father loved the script and my role in it but left it to me to decide. My aunt too was very happy for me. She was extremely supportive.

How was the first day of shoot?

There was a lot of work to be done before the day of shoot. We went through a lot of training under Barry John [theatre guru]. We had a lot of script readings with Leena and the rest of the cast. We prepared for about three months.

The first day of shoot was on my birthday. We were shooting the promo song. It was like the perfect birthday gift. All of us were really nervous facing the camera. 

Did your father accompany you on the sets?

My parents, brother, two aunts, cousins and grandfather were there on the first day as it was my birthday. My father became emotional on seeing me perform. I only hope I've made him proud.

'Leena has delivered beyond our expectations'

How did it feel to be directed by a female director?

This is my first film so I can't compare. Being female didn't make her any less competent. In fact, she has delivered beyond our expectations. She is a very fun loving person and always has a smile on her face. She is very ambitious too. I noticed that she lives in the moment.

You're not the only newbie in the movie. How were the others?

They were amazing. I got to learn a lot from them. They all come from different fields. Dhruv Ganesh has a theatre background, Vaibhav Talwar is a model and Siddharth Kher has done many ads. They have so much passion and drive that they influenced me too.

We had our own little group and were called the 'kids on sets'. There was a lot of give and take. We became very good friends.

'I want to play different roles -- as many as I can'

What kinds of roles interest you?

I want to play different roles -- as many as I can.

Your father excels in comic roles. Do you have a funny bone as well?

I wouldn't know unless I'm given a role like that.

There were reports that you did a Kannada film before Teen Patti...

No. I haven't done any south Indian film. This is my first stint in films. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't act in south Indian films, regional films or world cinema.

What next? There are rumours of you signing a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film.

It's only Teen Patti for now.