Delnaaz Irani: Today, I cannot say I want to play Alia Bhatt’s friend

Delnaaz Irani feels that her capabilities have been restricted by typecasting her in the comedy genre only. The actor feels there's more to her than that

Delnaaz Irani: Today, I cannot say I want to play Alia Bhatt's friend

Delnaaz Irani. Picture Courtesy: Instagram/officialdelnaazirani

Delnaaz Irani might be sharing the screen with the top actors of the industry but it is safe to say that actor Delnaaz Irani has been a clear favourite on screen. Her absolutely adorable looks and perfect comic timing has made her one of the most loved actors in the industry. But we have missed her on screen recently, right? While she rocked the role of Sweetu, actor Preity Zinta's friend in Kal Ho Na Ho, Delnaaz does not ignore the fact that she cannot do those roles anymore.

"I always believe everything goes hand in hand, you need to do your networking plus you need good luck and need to be at the right place at the right time. But the phase that I am in now is just wrong timing, I don't blame luck or networking. 15 years back, I was younger and so I played Preity Zinta's friend but today I cannot say that I want to play Alia Bhatt's friend. And if I say I am ready to play a mother, I would still look young. I am too old to play a friend and too young to play a mother and somewhere I am lost in between," she says.

The actor says that the fact that people feel she can only do comedy has also restrained her options. "Since I have always been doing comic characters, people don't look beyond that. It's very sad and I feel very dejected at times. I can give you an example of my recent film My Mother's Wedding. This is a very touching film revolving around the relationship between a mother and a dead son. I was the protagonist and nobody could have ever imagined that Delnaaz, who plays comic characters in every film and every show, will be able to do this character. But a 23-year-old man came to me with his script and he directed this film, there were a lot of other actors he could cast but probably he took a chance with a comic actor and I feel this way you can break an image. In the show Ek Deewana Tha, I played the character of a tantric. It had all the shades. She was positive, negative, scary but there was nothing comic about the role. Like I said, as an actor, you should be ready to do all kinds of roles and I am ready to do that provided people are ready to accept, producers are ready to take a chance and give me those kinds of characters," she says.

However, the actor has no regrets today. "I also feel destiny plays a major part in your journey. I have done such beautiful roles and have put my heart and soul in each role. People have appreciated my work. Whether the film or television show has worked or not people have still remembered me and my characters. People talk about Sweetu even after 15 years, it was a major hit. But I am also talking about films that didn't work like Paying Guests, Milenge Milenge… people still remember my character that means somewhere I have done justice to my roles," she says.

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