A decade after her Bollywood debut, Disha Patani has stepped into a new phase of her career — starring in some of this year’s most anticipated films, while carving out space in an international arena that only a handful from the industry have managed to reach.
Still riding the high on the box-office success of Welcome to the Jungle, which comfortably crossed ₹100 crore in its second weekend, Patani has three more projects on the horizon.
First up will be Awarapan 2, gearing for an August release, followed by her Hollywood debut alongside two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey in his upcoming action fantasy Holiguards Saga: The Portal of Force, which marks his return behind the camera after 22 years. In the film, Patani is set to star alongside an ensemble cast, including Spacey himself, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Brianna Hildebrand and more in leading roles.
The actress will also star in Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD Part 2, reprising her role as Roxie in the dystopian world Ashwin created, alongside actors Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Hassan, and others.
Excerpts from a conversation:
Kalki 2 is among the most anticipated films in recent times. At this stage, what can you tell us about the world the makers are building? And what has it been like reuniting with the cast, including Prabhas?
Everything around Kalki 2898 AD Part 2 is still very secretive. All I can say is that the audiences will definitely discover more soon. I'm looking forward to being back in that world again, and I hope people get to see more of Roxie this time.
You will soon be seen in Kevin Spacey's Holiguards Saga: Portal Of Force, marking your Hollywood debut. What has the experience been like?
It was an amazing experience. It was new for me to work on a completely different set, with actors from different parts of the world. I really enjoyed it. Kevin is an incredible actor and I loved working with him as a director. We had a fantastic cast, and it was a very different filmmaking experience overall.
Honestly though, whether it's Bollywood, the southern industry or Hollywood, I think the feeling at the beginning is always the same. Whenever you start a new project, you're nervous. As the days go by, you settle in and become more comfortable.
I don't really think about the pressure of where I'm working. For me, the director is the captain of the ship. I just trust that vision and focus on doing my part.
Can you describe your current headspace now that Welcome To The Jungle has emerged as a success? Any favourite memories from the shooting experience?
I'm really happy with the response. One of the nicest things has been reading comments from people who walked into the theatre without many expectations and came out laughing, saying the film genuinely lifted their mood. That's the best compliment, because that is exactly what we wanted to do.
It was a massive ensemble, so everyone knew what they were signing up for. For me, it was all about learning because I was surrounded by so many legendary actors. Every single day on set was a learning experience.
Ahmed sir (director) and I share a beautiful equation. I trust him completely because we worked together in Baaghi 2. Comedy was completely new for me, and I feel it is one of the hardest genres because making people laugh is not easy. So watching actors who have mastered it was incredible.
Shooting with Jaqueline was one of my favourite memories. We had a few scenes together, including some action scenes, and it was a lot of fun. I also loved all the sequences where the entire cast was together in the jungle. Everybody would improvise, do their own thing, so you never really knew what would happen next! That chaos made those scenes really enjoyable.
The success of Welcome... also coincides with ten years of you being in the Hindi film industry, as M.S. Dhoni released in 2016. How do you process a decade here?
It doesn't feel like ten years. It feels like I've just been working from one film to the next and trying to become a little better every time. When I started, everything was new and a little overwhelming.
Over the years, I've realised that every film teaches you something different and every character helps you evolve. Every director has a different way of working, every co-actor brings something new, and every set becomes a learning experience.