Zareen Khan on playing a gay character: Just had to be honest to emotion of love

Zareen Khan. Pic/Yogen Shah

Zareen Khan plays a homosexual woman in the recently released film "Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele". While makers were sceptical to cast her in the role initially, the actress says it is not the first time that she has faced such a situation.

"It is not the first time that people have been sceptical to cast me in their film if it is a non-glamorous role. They have this whole thing because of all the previous work that I had done. This was not the first time that people were sceptical," Zareen told IANS.

"But, yes, I was asked for an audition and I was more than happy to give because if a person does not know if I would be able to pull off this character. They loved the auditions and I was a part of this film," she added.

This is the first time Zareen was seen playing a lesbian on screen. Did she have any inhibitions portraying the character at first?

"It wasn't really difficult I would say. As for the body language, I have been a tomboy all my life, so that trait, which I was always told to correct, helped me here in the film," she said.

"The thought occurred to me -- because I am not a homosexual -- that I shouldn't end up doing something unknowingly, saying or portraying something that might offend the LGBTQ community. Then I thought to myself that it is about portraying the emotion of love and that emotion is felt the same way how a straight person would feel it, because the emotions are the same," she said.

The actress, who was launched by superstar Salman Khan in the 2010 film "Veer", felt that the love would be the same, and once she decided on that, she portrayed the character with full honesty.

"I just had to be honest to the emotion of love and just portray it on screen with all honesty," she said. "Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele" released on Disney+ Hotstar VIP.

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