This story is from March 5, 2019

The thing that I loved the most in Lucknow was Idris ki biryani: Sandeepa Dhar

The thing that I loved the most in Lucknow was Idris ki biryani: Sandeepa Dhar
Sandeepa Dhar (BCCL/ Farhan Ahmad Siddiqui)
Having debuted in the movie 'Isi Life Mein' opposite actor Akshay Oberoi, actress Sandeepa Dhar has been taking baby steps in her Bollywood journey. In Lucknow recently this Jammu born actress shared how doing musicals abroad is paying her well and how she enjoyed Lucknow's winters for the second time in a row while shooting for a project.
"I might have been born in Jammu and Kashmir, but I have been brought up in Mumbai.
And Mumbai mein toh thand hoti nahi hai. So I am not used to such kind of winters. Plus, I was shooting in Malihabad, so wahan toh baagh hi baagh thay, and it was colder than Lucknow. I also saw fog after a really long time and to top it all we were shooting only when it rained and there was a hailstorm also and we had to stop the shooting mid-way. So I experienced winters achhi tareekey se in Lucknow. However, my endurance to cold is much better and I am unable to tolerate heat. So I kind of also enjoyed Lucknow ki sardi," says Sandeepa, who was seen as Anjali in 'Dabangg 2'.
Sandeepa Dhar (BCCL/ Farhan Ahmad Siddiqui)
Sandeepa Dhar (BCCL/ Farhan Ahmad Siddiqui)
Sandeepa Dhar (BCCL/ Farhan Ahmad Siddiqui)
She adds, "This isn’t my first visit to the city. In fact, I was here last winters too to shoot for a film for film festivals. I stayed here for a month then. Then also I was shooting in far away places from Lucknow. It used to take two hours to reach the shooting venue."
Apart from the winters, the actress also liked Lakhnawi food. "I am a complete a foodie. So apart from eating the famous Tunday Kebabs, I also went for early morning tea at Sharma and had the bun makkhan too. However, the thing that I loved the most here was Idris ki biryani. This time too I was eating a lot and every day I used to order yummy desserts. Whenever Kunal (Khemu), who was also shooting with me, used to see me eating all this, he would get shocked. Apart from having a good metabolic rate, I also dance a lot that is why I stay so fit despite eating so much," shares she.

And dancing is Sandeepa’s first love. "I am too much into dancing. I do this international musical called the West Side Story for which I have to practise every day for three hours. It is an Australian production where we sing, dance and act together. We travel to different parts of the globe for this every year. It has actors from different parts of the world," says Sandeepa.
"I was studying dance from Australia that is when I was offered this during the auditions. We perform around 20 days in a country and most part of the year I am busy with this. That is why I do lesser work in India. Main India mein hoti hi bahut kam hoon to work in movies. I am committed for five years to this musical and it’s been two and a half years till now. So my Bollywood career will start after my contract gets over. Also the scene for musicals abroad is huge and people pay around 150 pounds for a show, which is like 10k in Indian currency. So even the actors are paid really well. In India, I don’t see the trend for musicals happenings any time soon as here toh we think twice before spending 500 rupees on a movie. We have had musical shows in different countries like China, Hong Kong, among others but haven’t managed to bring it here. People here will fit jugaads for tickets which can’t be done. Plus it is expensive," she says.
So isn’t she taking a big risk by giving crucial years of her life to not Bollywood but Broadway shows. "Well, it's the call that I have taken as I not only get to see the world, dance and act with the best of people in the world, but I am also paid a bomb for it. Bollywood films I try do as much as I can as and when I have time. This year, I have done two Bollywood films 'Firrkie' and 'Kaagaz'. I also did a song for a Salman Khan film. So I have my hands full here too," says Sandeepa.
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About the Author
Akash Wadhwa

Akash Wadhwa is a senior copy editor-cum-correspondent at Lucknow Times. He handles the "Lucknow Is Talking About" and "Allahabad Is Talking About" pages, and also does Bollywood and TV reporting, as well as lifestyle and local reporting from Lucknow. He is an ardent television viewer.

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