Here’s what Anushka has to say about her heavy Gujarati accent in ‘JHMS’

Anushka Sharma will next be seen in Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Jab Harry Met Sejal’ in which she plays the role of a Gujarati girl. Her character in the film has a heavy Gujarati accent. While some people are quite happy with the accent, some found it fake, as not many people especially of today’s generation speak in that manner.

So, recently when we met her for an interview, we asked whether she feels that her character is stereotyping a community because nowadays Gujarati people don’t speak in such heavy accent, to which she said, “But, can you say that no Gujarati speaks like that. We expect the representation that we have made in our head about it, and that’s not how it works. This is not to someone’s liking ki maine aise logo ko zyada dekha hai, toh yeh aisa hai. If you can tell me for a fact that there’s no one like this, then I can say that you are right. But, it’s not like that.”

When further probed that maybe the accent is there in the elders, but talking about the youngsters, we don’t get to see that heavy accent in them. Anushka said, “Even I asked Imtiaz this question. He said he has met girls who have that accent and that is what he found charming about them. Also the way in which Sejal speaks denotes her limited experience in life. She (Sejal) is someone who has gone to a Gujarati medium school; she has been amongst her cousins, even going out means going with her cousins only. It’s not like she has many friends. Her vacations are also with family only. She lives in a very constrain environment and that’s the only environment she knows. So, it is also to denote that kind of limited exposure she has to life.”

When she was further asked, if she has come across anyone like that or has taken inspiration from anyone for this role, the actress said, “The girl who taught me (accent), Dimple, she is from Mumbai and she talks like that and she is around the same age as Sejal. She doesn’t talk like that in a fake way, but when she normally talks, there’s a Gujarati accent.”

The movie also stars Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, and it will be hitting the screens on August 4, 2017.

Murtuza Iqbal

‘Eat Sleep Bollywood Repeat’ is his life Mantra. Dance is his first love and Rani Mukerji is his eternal crush. He is someone who loves being himself, and as for the ones who don’t agree, his reply? “Talk to my hand!”