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.
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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.