last weekend was marked by three things — rains, Farhan Akhtar and his followers. Eram Agha managed to spend some time with the actor
Actor Farhan Akhtar didn’t take a rain check on his recent visit to New Delhi. But what if he had the premonition of downpour that crippled the city and redefined “delays”IJ He’d still be present because the two events that happened back-to-back were quite close to Akhtar’s heart — Royal Enfield invited him to hand over the keys of the Royal Enfield Desert Storm (that he rode in the film) to Hamininder Singh, the winner of the Bhaag Milkha Bhaag contest, and the launch of Adhuna Akhtar’s b: blunt mini salon in Gurgaon. The city was flooded and so was the actor…with questions.
Bike the way
He looked poised, that seemed to be the effect of his successful run at the box office… The film won him widespread acclaim and accolades but what touched him the most was the response of The Flying Sikh. “He liked the film, trusted us on the portrayal of his life. While watching the film he cried, laughed and in the end gave all of us hugs,” said Akhtar. He asserted the importance of films that celebrate legends and bring them back to the public memory. “We should go back in history and dig out such tales of courage and introduce them to the young. Tell the youth about the heroes who were not as advanced as them but were still achievers and maybe the new generation should not take the new facilities that give them a better start for granted,” he said. Amidst all the cheer and joy there is one person who is a little upset, his younger daughter! “Both my daughters were very excited about my look in the film, but younger one is upset that I have got my hair cut,” he said. One of the best things that he did after the release of the film is visiting his alma mater — Maneckji Cooper, where he interacted with the students. “It was the most amazing feeling to go in the same halls and rooms, for the first time I entered my principal’s office without any fear,” he laughed. Bikes are not a part of his growing up years as his mother forbade him from riding one. “I was quite accident prone, and she didn’t allow me to ride bikes,” he said. When someone from the crowd asked him, “Who do you think has the best bike in BollywoodIJ” He said, “I am not an encyclopedia on who rides what! I don’t keep a tab on people’s possessions!”
Hair, there, everywhere
While commenting on our attitude towards hair styling and cuts, Adhuna Akhtar said, “There is still lot to be done, people are more bothered about what other people say about the new look. We should ideally be concerned about, ‘Are we happy carrying itIJ’ And as a woman it is very important because the first step to taking back our womanhood is by claiming our hair,” she said.