Opening Act

- Sumanto Chattopadhyay

I first met Disha Patani when she modelled for me. We were shooting a television commercial for Pond’s Dreamflower Talc and she was the new face of the brand. All I knew about her was that she had played the Indian cricketer and former captain’s first love in M. S. Dhoni: The Untold Story. I had seen her in the film and remembered that she was good looking. Very. She was a picture of loveliness. I recall thinking that her boyfriend, fellow actor, Tiger Shroff, is one lucky guy, as I saw him drop her off at the shoot location in Bandra. Sometimes models are merely photogenic—they look beautiful on camera but are a disappointment in person. But not Disha.

Willowy. The word that came to mind as I saw her walking towards me, leggy and lissome. As I began to interact with her, I found her smart, easy-going, and—in an industry where people learn to throw starry tantrums even before they become stars— refreshingly ‘undivalike’.

I learned two other things about Disha that day: The first was that she was a good dancer. This was great news as our ad required her to trip the light fantastic. The second was that I had been mispronouncing her surname. Yes, I know. A bit embarrassing. It turned out that it wasn’t Pataani, as I had been saying. “It’s pronounced Paatni,” Disha gently corrected me.

Our shoot went off brilliantly. Disha executed her steps with élan. Her expressive face and eyes conveyed the requisite emotions perfectly. And she looked flawless through it all.

So, a few months later, when Bazaar asked if I would write about the actor, I readily agreed. And there I was face to face with her again.