In this exclusive and rare e-mail interview, actress Somy Ali tells her good friend JYOTHI VENKATESH that she is not at all interested to face the camera as an actor for films or TV serials or web series, whether it is in India or in Hollywood.
How would you spell your name Somy Ali or Somy Aly?
It is spelt as Somy Ali.
What are you doing currently?
I am associated with the NGO called No More Tears in USA which has the avowed mission to assist and empower victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. Since its inception, the NGO has rescued more than 30,000 women, children and men as well as the members of the LGBTQ community at large.
What sets your NGO – No More Tears different from the others which are functioning all over the globe?
There is immediate assistance and there is absolutely no waiting list at all. Also 100% of the proceeds set out to directly fund the victims’ services. What’s more, no one takes a salary ever from the NGO for the services rendered by them.
Can you elucidate?
According to the U.S. State department, human trafficking is one of the greatest human rights challenges of this world, both in the US and around the world. And 325,000 children are at risk of becoming victims of commercial sex victims of exploitation each year. And the average age at which girls become victims of prostitution is 12 to 14 years old. And the average age for boys is 11 to 13 years.
Jyothi Venkatesh interviews Somy Ali………
Did you initially try your luck in Pakistani films?
I left Pakistan when I was 11 years old for Miami. And from there I moved to India in my late teens.
Since you have spent a large part of your life in the U.K, didn’t you try your luck in Hollywood?
You mean U.S? No as I was in India from 16-24 not to be an actress, but to pursue a teenage crush
How did you get your break in Bollywood?
Through my first film Bulund opposite Salman, has never been completed, it was Anth with Suniel Shetty, which went on to celebrate a silver jubilee, which was actually my first film in Bollywood to get a proper release.
Was acting in films your childhood dream?
It was never my childhood dream.
What drew you to acting in films?
To act in films was just to me a teenage crush.
To what extent did you learn acting when you studied acting with Namit Kapoor?
I went there to socialize more than to learn as I had zero interest in acting.
Which are the films in which you had acted? Which are your five favorites?
Anth, Chup, Teesra Kaun, Yaar Gaddar and the last but not the least Aao Pyar Karen.
What according to you is your strength as an actor?
I think I was always better at enacting emotional scenes.
What is your weakness or minus point as an actor?
My only big worry at that point of time was the fact that I could not dance at all to save my life.
To what extent were you ready to display your skin in films?
I was a tomboy from Miami and hence I had no qualms in wearing whatever the director wanted me to wear.
Name 5 Bollywood actors who are your all time favorites in Bollywood?
Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Irfan Khan, Chintu Ji, and Manoj Bajpaye, though frankly speaking, I’d say that my ultimate favorites were Rajesh Khanna and Amit Ji , especially since I grew up in Pakistan.
Name the Bollywood actresses who are your favorites?
Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Zeenat Aman, Rani Mukerjee, Taapsee Pannu and last but not the least and Kajol.
What made you retreat from Bollywood after your initial few flops?
I did act in about 10 films, but let me reiterate that I was not there to do films. I was there to marry an actor I had a crush on. I fell in love with a character in a movie. I was a silly teenager.
Which are the directors who still remain in your wish list?
I would say that it is Mahesh Bhatt.
Do you remember how you were introduced to Salman Khan?
He called me to ask me to play his leading lady in the film Bulund, with which I was introduced in Bollywood.
What happened to your project Bulund with Salman Khan which did not take off?
I can’t recall clearly, but there were major budget issues after we shot the film in Nepal.
What is necessary to click in Bollywood- Acting talent or luck?
I think, frankly speaking you need a little bit of both. I don’t know for sure though, Bunty (Kumar Gaurav) was good looking and a great actor but could not click at all in films after his Love Story had turned out to be a phenomenal hit. So the truth is that one never knows. It has a lot to do with fate.
How would you define love? Does it have a place in your life or heart?
For me, love is my NGO, No More Tears. I feel that intimate love is something which is severely unpredictable.
Somy Ali interview …
What gave you the strength to seek a career in Mumbai as a single girl in the 90’s?
Again, I did not go there to seek a career in films.
How did you tackle the casting couch offers that were dangled at you then?
I did not have any such experiences. I was dating someone who people were afraid of and still remain to do so.
Do you see Hindi films now? In what way do you think they have undergone a radical change?
Yes, but I make it a point to see only films with substance. Like Thappad, The Lunch Box, Pagglait and any film which stars Taapsee Pannu or for that matter Aamir Khan. Their films are almost always very intellectually stimulating.
Are you still open to offers to act in films or web series?
No. I am not at all interested in facing the camera as an actor. I am very happy working for my NGO. https://nomoretearsusa.org
