17 Years of Salaam-e-Ishq Exclusive: Shannon Esra talks about her experience of making a Hindi film and shooting song and dance sequences. Talking about her encounter with Salman Khan, she says:We were talking about hunting in South Africa and other random things.” : Bollywood News
multi star Salam Ishq (2007) ended its 17-year history on January 26th. His six-song romantic drama, directed by Nikkhil Advani, did not receive a positive response from critics and audiences alike. However, the song has strong recall value. What also stood out were the songs by Govinda and foreign actress Shannon Esra. There were some sweet, funny, and fun moments. As an independent film, it may have worked well for moviegoers.
as Salam Ishq Celebrating our 17th anniversary, bollywood hungama We spoke exclusively to Shannon Esra about the movie, memories, and more. Currently based in her native South Africa, she started her career in a film starring Kim Basinger. I dreamed of Africa (the year of 2000). She dabbled in television and appeared in South African films before she was done with her career. Salam Ishq. After her release, she continued to work on several interesting projects, including the well-received South African television series “Lioness”. She is also a singer and theater actor, and as she mentioned in her interview, she also plans to develop a show.
bollywood hungama We spoke with the charming actress on a Zoom call and she was happy to share her memories and experiences. At the beginning, she declared: Salam Ishq It holds a special place in her heart. When her author thanked her for agreeing to the interview, she flashed a lovely smile and said: I have very fond memories of my shooting experience with her. ”
What comes to mind when I say that? Salam Ishq?
I think the first thing that came to mind was how exciting it was. My agent called me and said, “I’ve received a very interesting request.” It could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to go to India to do something completely different. ” What has always been important to me in my career is to do things differently. I sent in an audition tape. Four days later, I was in India, met Vikram Phadnis, went for a wardrobe fitting, and met one of the ads, Natasha Charak, his cousin, at Salman Khan’s house. It happened quickly.
Do you know who Salman Khan is?
Of course I did. Here (in South Africa), Bollywood is a very big industry. So I knew the big players. But who would have thought that a small actress from South Africa would be starring in this big Bollywood movie? I was only 23 years old, but it was really special for me.
Can you tell us about your encounter with Salman Khan?
That was insane. I was at his house, and it was beautiful, with white marble and black and white photographs of him. He had this beautiful physique. I just sat there with a mouth full of teeth! He was very charming. Natasha also came with us. So it was the three of us. He kept asking me questions about South Africa. We were talking about hunting and other random things. I was also tired as it had been a crazy 3 day trip. I got off the plane and attended Vikram’s fashion show and also met Salman Khan.
Did you have an audition for Salam Ishq?
Nikkhil Advani had a difficult time casting the role of Stephanie. There was a still photographer named Gene Gardi who worked in the Hindi film industry for many years. Jean is South African and had to return to her home country to renew her visa. Nikkil suggested that they should look for actors in South Africa who fit the criteria. Gene spoke with H. Jordan, a big-time radio personality. He suggested she contact her own agent (who was also her mine). She called my agent and her agent spoke to me. We shot a scene where Stephanie wakes up in a taxi and she finds herself in the Taj Mahal. Two days later, I booked a flight to India.
I had to dye my hair blonde for my role…
Yes, it was quite a process. As you can see, I have very dark hair. It took me 9 hours to dye my hair blonde as per the requirements. And in January 2006 she stayed there for 5 weeks. At that time, they filmed my travelogue and it was an amazing experience. I got to see places like Delhi, Rishikesh, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. Once the schedule was completed, he had to film the rest much later, in August, due to scheduling conflicts. At that time, we shot only at a studio in Mumbai. I had a chance to meet Priyanka Chopra during the filming of the climax where many stories converge. However, during this schedule, I made it clear that I couldn’t dye my hair blonde again because I was contracted to other jobs that required my hair to be its natural color. And it’s terrible to dye your hair from black to blonde, then black, and then blonde again. What it does to your hair is…oh my gosh lol! So, I had a wig made according to the final schedule. The wigs they make in India are exceptional.
In one scene from the movie, Stephanie has a terrible time eating spicy Indian food. What was your experience when you tried Indian food?
I love Indian food. But I’m one of those people who can’t eat cilantro or cilantro. Daniyah. That was very problematic for me. Otherwise, spicy food is fine. My plan for January was to eat a lot of boiled chicken and vegetables. As a result, I had lost a lot of weight. I had to balance it out by eating dry salted dal. I don’t remember the brand, but I was hooked (lol)! Although it is a scene of eating spicy food, there was no spicy food on the actual plate. The food was pretty bland. Anyway, it was a really fun place to shoot.
We were lucky to shoot in January when the weather was very cool and pleasant across the country…
surely. When we were shooting in Rishikesh, I was in a tiny little hotel. I wanted to take a shower after a long and tiring day. No one told us that we had to turn on the geyser to get hot water. It was so cold that I ended up crying and taking a cold shower (lol)! Later, I was told that if I turned on the button, I would have hot water after an hour. I enjoyed my bath the next day, but I felt very, very sad about myself that night.
How was it working with Nikkhil Advani? This was his second directorial debut after the blockbuster. Kalho Naho (2003)…
I knew he had a huge success with his first movie. So there was a lot of pressure on him. he was lovely It took nearly a year to film due to actors’ schedules and conflicts, so he was under a lot of stress, but I always found him to be a very polite and kind person.
As for the song “Mera Dil”, I had to wear Indian costumes, be photographed, and even dance. How was your experience?
I didn’t even know I had to dance and lip sync until two days of principal photography. I asked to participate a week in advance. I had my script. A few days before I left for filming, someone asked me, “Are you ready to dance and sing?” Then I got the complete script and said to the AD, “I need lyrics, I need translations.” You have to lip-sync to this song, and you also have to dance! ” They put me in rehearsals with Bosco Caesar, a very famous choreographer who had just worked with Christina Aguilera. That was a big deal. They showed me my dance steps. There was only one day of rehearsal. Two hours later I locked myself in the bathroom crying. “I can’t do that,” I told myself. At this point, Luxida said to me, “Shannon, you’re a star.” Say no. Tell them what you can do. ” I thought this. “That’s not going to work.” I have to make their vision a reality. ” She replied, “No, it’s not!” After being cooped up at home for 45 minutes, I returned. They said, “Okay, 5-6-7-8” and started rehearsing. I told them “no” (with a whimper). They asked me, “What do you mean?” I told them, “You can’t do that.” They said, “Okay.” What do you want to do? ‘. I said, “Simplify it.” This was also shot over two days in the back of a moving truck in the middle of the desert. You can’t screw this up and hold the unit back. ” Then they changed the procedure. It was completed in one take. I added a few bits and it turned out great. If I had done the original choreography, I would have definitely turned into a monkey.
How did you manage to understand the Hindi dialogue correctly?
I had someone say it with the attitude I needed. I recorded it with a dictaphone. I also recorded the lines and memorized them by repeating them.
How did you hear about the feedback this film generated?
I wasn’t really sure what happened to the movie there. It felt like a spaceship (somewhere far away)! Also, the world was different back then. We didn’t have social media. I am often surprised when people contact me from India. It’s great to know that a small number of movie fans continue to love Stephanie. During its release, I saw the film at a screening organized by the Indian Consulate in South Africa. It was a great experience.
I wish this movie had been a success. I would have liked to have seen how Raju (Govinda) and Stephanie could make their relationship work despite the language issue…
(Laughs) That’s right. But if there is no sequel, it can take the form we want in our imaginations. Nothing becomes concrete. Perhaps they lived happily ever after and had children. Or maybe she realized he was too old for her and they ended up becoming friends. Perhaps he returned to Canada and eventually fell in love with skiing. It could work out a million different ways, and any version would be satisfying (smiles).
How was your life after that? Salam Ishq?
Life went on. Nothing has changed. I continued to work, continue to grow, and continued to focus on becoming the best artist I could be. I will always be the most loving daughter, sister, friend, and partner I can be. I’m not a mother. I’m not someone who wants to start a family. I love my job and it’s one of the most important things to me. I am developing two of my own shows. I’m lucky to have this career. I tried to make it in Los Angeles, where I lived for six years. I then returned to South Africa. This is where my heart is. I want to be at the forefront of creating challenging stories for women.
Do you have any plans to return to India and appear in another Bollywood film?
If someone sends me a script from India that excites me, I will take it immediately. But I don’t want to be blonde again! I think the only way out is with a wig. What I loved about India was that despite the extreme poverty, I received so much love and felt so connected.
Do you follow Bollywood or watch Indian movies?
I’ll be honest. I don’t really follow Bollywood. But there are also directors that I’m very interested in, like Meera Nair. I’m a total movie buff, so if someone recommends a movie to me, I’ll definitely watch it.
Are you still in touch with Nikkhil Advani and Govinda?
No, things were so different in 2007 that there was simply no way to maintain contact. It was a different world. I would be happy if I could contact you through Instagram.
Your birthday is February 1st. What are your plans for the future?
I ended up shooting a commercial in Sun City, which is my favorite place in the world. There is no better birthday present than this (lol).
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