One of the most legendary films of Bollywood, Hera Pheri, completes 20 years today. The film is fondly remembered for its timeless humour, watertight screenplay, flawless direction by Priyadarshan, realism and of course, the chemistry between the lead characters of Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal. It was a story of a landlord and his two paying guests who get a chance to get rich when the granddaughter of a famous businessman gets kidnapped and the kidnapper mistakenly calls them for ransom. The film in a way revolved around the kidnapped girl as her abduction is what leads to the whole madness.
Cut to 2020. Ann Alexia Anra aka Annie, who played the character of this girl named Rinku, is now 30 and quite unrecognizable. She has left acting but is quite content to have been a part of two unforgettable films – Hera Pheri and Avvai Shanmugi, which was later remade in Hindi as Chachi 420. Based in Chennai, Ann, in an exclusive interview to Bollywood Hungama, goes down memory lane and remembers working on this film, the memories attached, what she is doing at present and a lot more.
Did you know that Hera Pheri was completing 20 years?
No, I had no idea! Once in a while, people do message me on Instagram about it but I hadn’t looked it up. I can’t believe 20 years have passed. I feel old!
Before Hera Pheri, you also were a part of Avvai Shanmugi (1996), which I believe was your first film…
Yes, that was my first film. I had done modelling and ads before. In fact, I’ve been modelling since I was 3. The choreographers of Avvai Shanmugi had seen me act. One thing led to another. My parents didn’t want me to act in movies actually. They were okay with ads but movies are longer and take up a lot of time. Hera Pheri, however, was allowed because it was shot during the summer vacations. But after that, they didn’t let me do any other movie. Hera Pheri happened because my dad is a Malayali and someone from Priyadarshan’s side knew that I had acted in Avvai Shanmugi. I was surprised they didn’t cast anyone from Mumbai. I have been actually based in Chennai all my life. We went to Mumbai for a couple of weeks to shoot.
Besides Avvai Shanmugi and Hera Pheri, which other films have you worked in?
I acted in two more films, and I had cameos in both. One was the Tamil film Thaayin Manikodi (1998), which also featured Tabu. The other was a Hindi film, Hathyara (1998), starring Mithun Chakraborty
Do you remember any memories from the Hera Pheri sets and working with such stalwarts?
I remember a lot from this film as there was so little that I had to do, especially as compared to Avvai Shanmugi. Also, I got to travel to a different city. I was there in the film for only 15 minutes but I was there in Mumbai for a very long time. Before the shoot started, they had to make my body double for which I had met Sabu Cyril. The shoot per se used to be a lot of fun. Akshay Kumar used to pull so many pranks on me, my mother etc. Avvai Shanmugi was a lot of work as I had to learn a lot of dialogues and also how to behave like a South Indian girl. On Hera Pheri sets, I used to get sweets and lipstick lollipops to the sets every day. My mother used to buy these things while we were on the way to shoot to keep me occupied. I remember offering these to Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty as I was always around them, and also everyone else. Interestingly, I didn’t know anything about the Bollywood industry. So I didn’t know who Akshay Kumar or Suniel Shetty was. So I wasn’t nervous. However, I did get shouted at by Paresh Rawal!
Why?
I went near the camera. I am usually not a brat on the set as I had done hundreds of ads. So I was pretty disciplined. But since everyone was being goofy on Hera Pheri sets, I think I ran around the camera and he got really mad at me. He shouted at me and I have never been shouted at by anyone on set. But I don’t think he meant it and it was just his quick reaction.
Hera Pheri started slow but gradually it won over people. Do you remember the reactions from people around you at that point?
I was in Chennai at that time and the film that didn’t make that kind of noise out here. So I had no idea that the film was a hit. It was only when I grew up and made friends from those who had come from North and who had seen the film that I realized its worth. Also, if I slightly mention to a friend that I was in that film, they often tell me how much they love it. They then ask me what was my role in the film and I tell them that I was the kid that got kidnapped (laughs)!
Hera Pheri is also a very hot film in the world of memes! Are you aware of this fact?
Yes I am aware. However, I don’t get the memes especially if they are not in English because I don’t understand Hindi! But seeing these Hera Pheri memes always brings a smile on my face!
Did you do any other film after Hera Pheri?
No. That was my last film.
How did you enter into modelling as a kid? Is anyone from your family involved in movies or advertising?
One of my cousins is a DOP. We have a few people in my family but no one from my direct family is a part of the movie business. When I was 3 or 4, one of the model coordinators locally spotted us and that’s how it all began. I still get calls for ads but right now, I am fully focused on my work.
What are your education qualifications?
I got a French government scholarship for which I went to France and completed my undergraduate course there in BBA. I then came back and worked in an ad agency. I worked in a software company for around 4 ½ – 5 years and my forte is social media and digital marketing.
I believe you also wrote for the magazine ‘Southside’ and participated in Miss Chennai 2007…
Oh my god, how do you know that? Yes, that’s true. As for Miss Chennai, I did participate. It was a reality show and I went for it at the insistence of my mom as I was really shy.
You also started a candy apple business called ‘Original Sin’…
I always had the entrepreneur bug. So I have done a lot of small businesses. I quit my job 1 ½ year ago to start my own waste management company, called Wasted Solutions. I work in low-value waste which people don’t really necessarily think about. People usually talk about plastics. But we work on used beverage cartons, tetra packs, cigarette waste etc.
I read somewhere that you are also into making documentaries…
Not exactly documentaries but we used to make videos for Tamil Nadu Police with regards to what the cops do for the society, their different departments, special task force etc. I was a part of the initiative through which we made a Facebook page for them so that they could be more accessible to the public. I worked with the ex-commissioner on this project. Later when he became the DGP, he suggested that we start a page which will be monitored by a team of officers who can take up online complaints and thereby help the public. It was actually launched by the Chief Minister in 2017. But now I’ve quit my job so I don’t know what’s happening on this project.
Do you get messages from Hera Pheri fans on Instagram? And what about your friends and others? Are they aware that you are the Hera Pheri girl?
I do occasionally get messages from people on Instagram asking me if I am Rinku from Hera Pheri. Also, I have uploaded a picture from the set, on my profile. I always reply because it’s so rare that someone makes the effort to come and find out who that little girl is! And after the lockdown due to the Coronavirus breakout, I am especially getting a lot of enquires, probably because I guess people have a lot of time to watch old movies and research! And outside the virtual world, a lot of people do get confused when they see me. Like they feel my face is familiar but they don’t know how they know me! I especially get that a lot in Chennai because of Avvai Shanmugi, as it’s a Tamil film. My friends usually try to surprise their other friends by asking them ‘do you know who this girl is’. And it’s fun to see them struggling to guess!
Are you in touch with your Avvai Shanmugi co-star Kamal Haasan or anyone from the Hera Pheri team?
Not at all. I talk to Kamal Haasan’s younger daughter Akshara more than anyone else. Once in a while, she comes to Chennai and we hang out at dance classes. Recently, we have met a couple of times.
Do you have any plans to make a comeback in acting?
No. Sometimes, I get some really nice calls from Mumbai for ads that I do. Like I recently did a Colgate national campaign directed by Pradeep Sarkar. But I really feel I was better as an actor as a kid! Hence, I don’t want to make the effort of coming into the industry as an adult actor.
There are reports that Hera Pheri 3 is being planned. If given a chance, would you like to take it up? It’ll be fun to see you getting kidnapped again, this time as an adult!
(Laughs) If I am going to come into the film for a few minutes like I did for the first time, then maybe I can as that would not require too much of my effort! And I don’t even speak Hindi. However, I am just really happy that I got to be a part of two legendary comedy movies and that’s also my favourite genre!