Sonakshi Sinha On How Important Love Is In Her Life!

Girls don’t just want to have fun; they want to beat up the bad guys too. Action in Hindi cinema is no longer just a man’s game. The girls are martial arts inspired and ready to kick some serious butt. Sonakshi Sinha and her powerpacked kicks in Akira have ushered in a change. Her high-flying action has pulled the carpet from under the feet of the heroes. She’s in a serious career overhaul. No longer limited to being the arm candy, she’s the face of her films and that’s a story worth telling…

- Raghuvendra Singh

Akira proved that you could carry a film on your shoulders. Are you proud of that?

Absolutely! When you have the title role, your responsibility increases. A piece of coal, under pressure, turns into a diamond. I work well under pressure. AR Murugadoss has worked with all the top action heroes of this country. He showed faith in me when he asked me to do this film. That pushed me to work hard, to learn mixed martial arts. I’m glad it looked convincing on screen.

How much time did it take to prepare for Akira?

I trained for three-four months before the film. I trained while shooting the film, which was a long time too. I didn’t want people to say maza nahin aaya. I wanted people to say that she can kick, she can punch, she means business and she can do everything that a guy can.

Did you receive any compliments from the action stars Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn?

Akshay tweeted to me after seeing the trailer. He said that I had done well. (Laughs) Ajay said that if you do such action where will we go? Even the audience has taken notice because for the first time they watched a girl do such stuff.

Is it a conscious move to move away from the single screen masala heroine to action girl?

Honestly, Akira is also a single theatre film. I took up the opportunity with both hands. Murugadoss sir is a fantastic director. I have worked with him before (Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty). Apart from the entertainment factor, the film leaves you with things to think about. It has the message of self-defense, it touches upon the topic of acid attacks, corrupt cops and how this girl stands up for herself and fights through it all.

What’s more difficult - romancing a guy on screen or kicking the bad boys?