Nora Fatehi is charting new territories with her recent performances in John Abraham starrer Batla House and a new music video “Pachtaoge” alongside Vicky Kaushal.
Despite performing an item number in Batla House( in which she did have a small role), the Canadian actor-dancer is trying to re-define “item number” into performance styles with difficult choreography and a desire to inspire others to learn something new or “just got to a dance class” as Nora said in an interview to film critic Anupama Chopra.
The artist spoke on various issues, including her journey to Bollywood; growing up watching Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan films dubbed in Arabic in Morocco to watching Beyonce, Madhuri Dixit’s dance videos on YouTube.
When asked, ” What is the role of the item song in a post-MeToo world?”
Nora answered, ” Give more than just be sexy in a song. I mean just standing there in front of the camera, and kind of just moving and showing this and that, that’s the issue… If you are doing a song and men are all over you and you’re having your chest out and your body out and your doing nothing but that, trying to seduce the camera in a vulgar way that’s where objection(I think) happens.”
“When you don’t cross the line between sensuality, performance wise and vulgarity that’s where the discussion can start happening, till then it is just performance,” she added.
On further being asked if the artist was aware while dancing that she “cannot cross that line” and if she says that she is uncomfortable doing this… Nora answered, ” Yes, luckily though I have never had this issue because whenever I get called on set, its almost like alright let’s see what kind of dance she is going to do now.. or what move. There is a standard that everybody is trying to make me keep pushing.”
“But, I within myself I am very aware. I make sure my facial expressions are not too much, too vulgar. I make sure that my display about myself is about the dance and not about my body parts. I can’t explain it in words, to be honest with you, but you just know how to do it.”
Recently, Nora had appeared on The Kapil Sharma Show with her co-star from “Pachtaoge” Vicky Kaushal.