Freddy Daruwala on his international debut: I’m not thinking about finding my way to Hollywood

Actor Freddy Daruwala talks about shooting his first international project titled Aaina in London, and more

Freddy Daruwala is busy shooting for his first international project titled Aaina in London, but the actor clarifies that he is not looking at it as his ticket to Hollywood. “I’m not thinking about the film opening doors to Hollywood for me. I just wake up every day and find myself extremely lucky to be part of something that I want to do. Very few people wake up and do a job they love the most. I am extremely lucky in that sense, and feel grateful about it,” says the actor, who is shooting with actor Richa Chadha, and Chronicles of Narnia actor William Moseley for the film being directed by debutant Markus Meedt.

At the moment, actor Freddy Daruwala is shooting for her first international project in London

As someone who prefers to go with the flow and take things as they come, the 39-year-old adds, “What happens in that is the journey, whether it (career) takes off or it doesn’t take off, we don’t know. When Holiday (2014) released, I thought I will be a superstar overnight. But the journey itself is long and a never ending journey.”

The film, set between London and India, tells the story of the global issue of children in terrorism and the post traumatic effects that plague their lives throughout adulthood. Daruwala stressing that Aaina will tell a very “relevant story on the trauma that refugees face”, goes on to share that he likes to focus on his work, and not ponder how it will reflect on his career. “My job is to put my absolute sincerity and dedication towards the job. That’s what I learned in my journey of filmmaking as an actor. The moment you start expecting that ab toh seedha Hollywood, you lose focus. It might open me a wave to Hollywood, might now,” he says.

He goes on to mention that he doesn’t believe in segregating industries based on languages or regions, instead wants to be part of good projects.

“I don’t think ke yeh Hollywood and yeh Bollywood. As long as films are getting made, I don’t even mind whether it is Hollywood or Bollywood. I’m an actor, my house runs with the money that I earn from acting. And that’s how I enjoy it the most,” says the actor, who has been web projects such as Poison (2019), Dharavi Bank (2022), Crackdown and Inspector Avinash.

Besides being part of Hindi-language films and series, the actor has also worked in Telugu and Tamil film industries. And hence, he asserts, “Language is irrelevant. A project needs to be credible and the people with whom you work with.”