This tomboy became television’s favourite bahu

Brut India

From modelling to acting... Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi actor Erica Fernandes talks to Brut about her run on the ramp, and the big break.

Transcript

00:00I went into Miss India, I finished that and I was hoping not to win because if I had to

00:09or if I had to get into that first five or anything, I would have missed, I would have

00:15had to leave the film.

00:16They make you keep on set and you know there's no chhutti and there's this and that.

00:22I used to be the tomboy character in my group and in my entire circuit.

00:35I think I've grown up, because I've grown up among so many boys and my cousins and my

00:40friends and all, you know from 100% of the gang, 70% were boys.

00:45I'm very comfortable around, you know, boys, men and I kind of, you know, they feel that

00:52you know, there are so many of my friends who say, tu, tu mera bro hai.

00:56After getting into this industry, I started to wear skirts and dresses and all, but till

01:01I was in college I never wore that kind of clothes.

01:05All you would see me wearing were shirts and jeans with boots with the whole cowboy look

01:10or more of t-shirts and jeans and t-shirts and shorts.

01:15Even while I used to go to church, I don't think I had worn too much of, you know, dresses.

01:21I never had that in my wardrobe.

01:22I had more blazers and trousers.

01:26Even now, my most comfortable outfit is this.

01:29See?

01:36I've been working a lot.

01:37I knew since then what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be.

01:41I worked towards it.

01:42I had already a plan in mind that, okay, events are not going to be okay with age.

01:47So first, what is the best way to go about?

01:50I love traveling.

01:51The best thing to do?

01:53Study a little bit.

01:54Get whatever degree you need to become an air hostess.

01:57And then become an air hostess, travel the world, make some money while you do that,

02:01and then get a portfolio.

02:03After you've done a portfolio, find your entry into the industry.

02:05That was my plan.

02:06And I didn't have to do that.

02:08Luckily, it just, everything fell into place and I entered the industry in the most uncertain way.

02:18When I was 16, I wanted to go for a haircut.

02:21I have had short hair most of my life.

02:23I happened to get the number of the salon, which was also the academy.

02:30One of the trainees who are training over there will cut your hair.

02:36And it is practice for them also.

02:38They will cut your hair and it is going to be at discounted prices.

02:42And when I went for a haircut there, the one who was cutting my hair at that point of time,

02:47she asked me, why don't you be my model?

02:50We have an in-house competition.

02:52So I said, well, okay.

02:53I did the competition with her and we stood first.

02:58After that, I got to know that the salon was owned by Farhan Akhtar's ex-wife, Adhun Akhtar.

03:04And she was into the industry and I had no knowledge about that.

03:07So she saw pictures and she asked me, why don't you model for our collection?

03:13So that was a collection which I was a part of.

03:18There were quite known names in that collection, quite big models who were a part of that collection.

03:24And there was me, that one person who did their first ever photo shoot in their life.

03:34I did drop out from my college.

03:35It was because I was a part of Miss India.

03:38And that was in the year 2012.

03:41My father was a heart patient.

03:42So he's had like his fair share of heart attacks.

03:46Has had three of them already.

03:48And he, at that point of time, was in the hospital.

03:54Just a few days before he could get a bypass done.

03:58A friend of mine, just you know, just put it in a word.

04:01If ever any of this movie casting happened, just let us know.

04:04Now he had asked for this, I mean, he had told me that this one casting happened, you need to go.

04:10I said, are you crazy?

04:11I'm in the hospital right now.

04:13How do I get up from here and go?

04:15He's like, no, no, I've already told them that you're coming.

04:17I said, why did you tell them without asking me?

04:19You asked me before that if I'm even interested in doing a South film.

04:22Because for me, acting was new.

04:25Then comes the language was very new.

04:28I never heard that language before.

04:31Forget about talking in that language.

04:34So he's like, no, no, you try and go if you can.

04:39And I said, no, I'm not going.

04:41So my father was, he was not eavesdropping, but he overheard the conversation.

04:46And he said, what happened?

04:49Will you say no?

04:50So I said, this is this.

04:52And this is what he said.

04:53He said, you go.

04:54I said, why will I go?

04:55And how will I go?

04:56I was 16.

04:58No, I was 17 then.

05:00My age 17.

05:01My mom used to accompany me for all my shoots and this and that.

05:05And I was very dependent on her.

05:07He's like, I am in the hospital.

05:10What can go wrong?

05:12Like if anything happens, you can call the nurse.

05:14You anyway want me to do anything.

05:16You are not doctors.

05:17So you all go.

05:19I reached there.

05:20First thing I said, I'm so sorry.

05:22Whatever, whoever has come, I just need you all to take my whatever position that you have.

05:28And I need to leave because I'm in the hospital.

05:30I need to rush right now.

05:31They gave me a few lines to say in Hindi.

05:33I knew head not tail of acting.

05:35And I said those few lines and I left.

05:38I was not even expecting or even anticipating a call.

05:42I get a call.

05:43He tells me that, my friend tells me that, the director wants to meet you.

05:46But it is not for the film that you auditioned.

05:48It's for another one.

05:49They want to cast you in that movie.

05:51So I said, why me?

05:54I don't even know that language.

05:56I don't even know acting.

05:58We met with the director and he told me that, at that point of time, it was a huge thing

06:06that I looked very, very similar or very, very close to what Ileana looked like.

06:13And he said that, I cannot afford Ileana.

06:19So I want her to look alike.

06:21And I'm like, you are taking me because I look like Ileana?

06:27And I finished my first schedule of the film.

06:31And then I had my finals of Miss India.

06:34So I finished that schedule.

06:35I went into Miss India.

06:37I finished that and I was hoping not to win.

06:40Because if I had to, or if I had to get into that first five or anything,

06:46I would have missed, I would have had to leave the film.

06:48TV was something that I was not looking at doing at that point of time.

06:53Everyone hears a lot about TV, you know.

06:55That TV makes you sleep on set and there's no leave and this and that.

07:03And I was anyway so scared about doing TV because of everything that you heard, right?

07:08But not everything that you hear is true.

07:10One day I was bored.

07:12An audition came.

07:14I'm like, it's TV.

07:16Let's go try.

07:18I went to be very honest.

07:21I went for the audition.

07:23And I gave the audition.

07:25I remember the name of the production was also, it was Karan Wahegi.

07:29And we were locked also for that TV show.

07:33But the show went on hold.

07:36And Sony was like, there's a channel, they had said this show is not happening.

07:42So we want you to go for this show.

07:51Pablo, Pablo.

Category

Transcript

Recommended