Angira Dhar: As an assistant director, I’ve stepped in as an extra for ads shoots, and now, here I am

In 'Commando 3', Angira Dhar has tried her hand at action for the first time. In a conversation with BT, the young actress spoke about being a part of the action franchise, bonding with her co-stars — Vidyut Jammwal and Adah Sharma — and more. Excerpts:
Your role in Commando 3 is in complete contrast to what you have done in your previous projects. Was it difficult to get into the skin of a character that’s extremely action-oriented?
In the film I play Mallika Sood, a cop who works for the British Intelligence.This role is absolutely different from the characters that I have essayed elsewhere. Unlike my previous outings, in this action flick, I have done a lot of stunts. Our director, Aditya Datt, was surprised to know that in real life, too, I am a tomboy. During the auditions, I felt very comfortable in my own skin and enjoyed performing the stunts when we shot them.
Are you fond of the action genre? How did you prep up for your role?
I am a big fan of action as a genre as I like the pace of these films. As a kid, I remember watching Charlie’s Angels and practising kicks and punches the whole day. I even punched my brother twice and was scolded for it (laughs!). I haven’t formally learnt any form of martial arts, but I did train a lot for this film. I did physical training coupled with yoga and weight training. I was also learning stunts with the Commando 3 team. We went to the UK around 10 days before the shoot to learn the basics of action. The team was surprised that I was able to do the stunts with ease.
Your co-star Vidyut is a trained martial artist and Adah, too, is a martial arts enthusiast. They have also been associated with the franchise before. Did you feel any pressure to match up to them?
I didn’t work under any pressure. Instead, I put my energies into learning what they knew. Vidyut is mind-blowing when it comes to action. He and Adah never made me feel that they knew more than I did. In fact, they helped me a lot. Vidyut would stay away from the set when I did my stunts to avoid making me conscious. Only when he felt that I was struggling with a particular stunt would he come to help me. I have many scenes with Adah. A lot of people might be surprised to know that two actresses bonded well (laughs!). We shared meals, walked around the streets while we shot in London and played off each other’s energies during the shoot.
You don’t have a background in films, so what prompted you to join Bollywood?
Though my family is from Kashmir, I was raised in Mumbai. I come from an academically-oriented family, so I was hesitant to tell my parents that I wanted to be an actress. In school, too, I never participated in any plays. I grew up with cousins who were studying to become engineers, doctors, etc. However, I always dreamt of seeing myself on the big screen. I fought with my parents and learnt filmmaking in Mumbai. I started working in a production house and was the producer of a non-fiction show on a music channel. Later, I assisted many ad film directors. As an assistant director, I have stepped in as an extra for ads shoots, and now, here I am. There are a few ads in which I can be seen standing in the crowd or an out-of-focus frame. The one ad that I remember being a part of was shot with Akshay Kumar in Bangkok. They wanted to show a group of Indians, but we were short of people, so they asked me to step in. I started getting offers to be the lead in ads, and later, film offers followed. I am happy that today my parents are proud of me and my decision.