I couldn't take my eyes off Katrina Kaif: Zarine Khan

Debutante Zarine Khan doesn't mind being compared to her "Veer" co-star Salman Khan's girlfriend Katrina Kaif and says that the actress is so beautiful that even she couldn't take her eyes off.

"Being compared to Katrina Kaif is a huge compliment for me because I feel she is very beautiful. When I am compared to her, I feel overwhelmed. I have met her a couple of times and she is so beautiful that even I couldn't take my eyes off her," Zarine told IANS.

"Being compared to her is always a delight. Personally speaking, when I see myself in the mirror, I find no similarities."

Zarine, who is playing female lead with Salman in "Veer", says that she wanted to be a doctor and that acting happened to her by chance.

"I was always a very brilliant student, but not a nerd type. I wanted to be a doctor. But I couldn't continue my studies due to a financial crisis and the responsibility of my whole family fell on my shoulders. Acting happened by chance. Now I can be everything - a doctor, pilot, everything," said Zarine.

"I was a struggling model and was looking for some kind of work to take care of my family. I was doing very small print ads now and then for saris to earn money to run my house. One day I was home surfing the net when I got a call from Mukta Arts. They called me on the sets of 'Yuvvraaj'. There I met Salman.

"Salman is a huge actor and I am one of his great fans. I started talking to him like his fans would do. I had no clue that he was planning to take me in his film ('Veer'). Finally, when I asked for his autograph, he said, 'No sweetheart you will sign autograph for the world'. Later I got to know that he has selected me for this film," she added.

Though Salman chose Zarine, she had to pass an audition test.

"They had auditioned lots of girls because the female lead has two different looks in the movie - one is Indian and other Western. Whoever they auditioned looked good in either of the looks, not both. Some had language problem too. They tried me and I was lucky enough to fit into both the characters and they signed me," said Zarine.

"Veer" is directed by Anil Sharma and produced by Vijay Dalani and Sunil A. Lulla. The makers kept Zarine's name secret for a long time.

"Even I got strict instructions to keep it a secret from friends and family. I was allowed to give some clue to my parents," she said.

Asked why they were hiding her, she said: "I don't know. I was too junior to question them why they are asking me to do so. I just did what they asked me to do."

Set in colonial India, the film encapsulates a period when Britons enslaved India with their divide and rule policy and kings and nawabs fell for it, except for the Pindaris who preferred death to dishonour and fought till their last breath. Salman plays one of the bravest and strongest Pindari soldiers.

"It's a love story set in the backdrop of a war for independence. I play a Rajasthani princess," said Zarine.

Salman is known as an angry man, but Zarine got to know the caring and understanding side of his personality.

"I had heard that he is a very tough guy, he hardly speaks. But he spoke to me very nicely... may be because I met him first as a fan. In due course I realised whatever has been written about Salman is not true. He is so sweet. He has a heart of gold. He is a very genuine man.

"While shooting sometimes I couldn't understand some parts of my role. I used to be scared that Salman would get angry. But he used to patiently explain how to go about it," said Zarine.

She has already bagged a few offers but she hasn't signed any as she is waiting for the release of "Veer" Jan 22.

Zarine doesn’t look like Katrina: Salman Khan

While the media is flummoxed by the startling facial resemblance between Katrina Kaif and Zarine Khan, the heroine of Salman Khan’s upcoming film Veer, the superstar himself feels otherwise. According to him, there’s little similarity.

“I am amazed at the hype over the reported similarities. I don't see any resemblance except the fair skin and sharp nose. God has never made two people look alike. If there was any resemblance, I should have noticed it first,” Salman is quoted as saying by a news agency.

Salman, who previously introduced to Bollywood Sneha Ullal, a walking carbon copy of his ex girlfriend but now happily married Aishwarya Rai, denied that Zarine was signed for the role in ‘Veer’ because she looked like Katrina. He rather asserts that Zarine was signed because a fresh face was needed for the role.

“The presence of an established actress would have looked like as if the actress is playing the role. We wanted a yesteryear look and hence the need for a fresh face,” Salman said.

The movie has Salman playing a Pindari warrior and Zarine playing a princess who is the daughter of the sworn enemy of the Pindari clan.

Salman Khan amazed at hype of Zarine's look

Bollywood star Salman Khan says he is amazed at the hype over the reported similarities between his Veer co-star Zarine and actress Katrina Kaif insisting that if there were any he would have been the first to notice.

The actor added he does not see any resemblance between the two except the fair skin and sharp nose.

"I am amazed at the hype over the reported similarities. I don't see any resemblance except the fair skin and sharp nose. God has never made two people look alike. If there was any resemblance, I should have noticed it first," Salman told PTI.

He said producers of the film, which he has scripted, wanted a new face for the role of the Rajput princess.

"The presence of an established actress would have looked like as if the actress is playing the role. We wanted a yesteryear look and hence the need for a fresh face," Salman, who met Zarine at Subhash Ghai's sets of Yuvraj, said.

Apart from acting and scripting Veer, Salman was actively involved in the creative process of the movie.

"The intense discussion and fights on the sets between me and director Anil Sharma has resulted into a good product. We have not followed the regular format for a period drama and tried to give it a very contemporary look with elements of emotions, drama, comedy and romance. It should not look like period films are very serious," he said.

Salman said he does not feel the pressure of the huge box office success of Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots to assert him in the number race.

"If my film is good, it will work with the audience. There is no question of pressure at all. Just because I have written the film does not mean that it is good. Audience has to like it," he said.

To a question on why he chose to write a period film rather than a contemporary one, Salman said, "It is because the story is about being true to your word, enemity, love and
how such sentiments are carried on by the next generation too."

"Pindaris were not barbarians as they were made out to be. All they wanted is Azadi," he said.

Salman admitted that Veer is over-budget. "Audiences are not concerned about the budget. All they want is a good entertaining film. The movie is larger than life. I am not making a film to depress people," he said.

Speaking about why his last two films Main Aur Mrs Khanna and London Dreams could not sustain the positive impact of Wanted at the box office, Salman said, London Dreams was 25 to 30 minutes longer.

"It was an amazing film but the length should have been 2 hour 20 minute. The film's length was trimmed, five days after its release. The length has to be kept as long as it is interesting. Even 3 Idiots is 2 hour 50 minutes but it is an interesting film," he said.

"I was bored seeing my own film then how do you keep the audience hooked," he asked.

Salman said Mithun Chakraborty's children convinced him to play the his father's role in Veer as he was not initially interested because the role required him to be physically fit and have a toned body.

"All three children address him Mithun and they share an amazing relationship. The same emotions and bond has been translated on screen. Besides, he always remembers the moral support my father gave him when he was struggler," he said.

Salman said he has not given an thought to direction. "I would not like to direct a film as of now," he said.

Newbie Zarine was instructed to pile it on for Veer

Khan was put on a chocolate diet for her period film to appear more full-bodied like women of the past

Newbie Zarine Khan was instructed to pile it on for Salman Khan's Veer. The debutant who weighed 54 kilos before the shoot, was told to put on weight so she looked fuller to play the lead opposite Salman.

Salman put Zarine on a chocolate diet making sure she ate cakes and pastries to appear more curvaceous. She piled on eight kgs after three months and now weighs in at 62 kgs.

Reveals an insider, "Veer required a leading actress who resembled a woman in the 18th century. The women of the time were full-bodied and voluptuous. Zarine was too thin for the character and hence we asked her to gain weight.

It was mentioned in her contract as well. Funnily enough, Zarine went on a chocolate cake diet. She had barely any time to put on weight and she loved chocolate cake. Salman would personally keep track of her diet."

Zarine wears a lot of period gowns in the film and also saris and blouses that will make her look a size larger than she is. "Most of her clothes have been designed in a way that enhance her size and make her look bigger.

200-800 Depending on size, the amount of calories a slice of chocolate cake contains

Zarine Khan is Copy Kat

The theatrical promos of Veer are out today and newbie Zarine Khan who is paired opposite Salman Khan comes off as a lookalike of Katrina Kaif, albeit a chubbier one!

Buzz is that Zarine was selected after a busy Kat had no time for Sallu's dream film. Salman luuves to take lookalikes of his girls.

Remember Aishwarya's copy Sneha Ullal in Lucky No Time For Love? Hopefully, Zarine's career will not go the Sneha way.