In Conversation with actress Zoa Morani!

Zoa Morani, a very well-known face in the industry has recently been busy with her web series ‘Akoori’ a story about a dysfunctional Parsi family. Zoa has previously been an assistant director on films like Om Shanti Om and Halla Bol. Zoa was always been interested acting but took up direction for a while to familiarize herself with the field of entertainment, she soon debuted with Shahrukh Khan’s production Always Kabhi Kabhi and later on did another film opposite Kunal Khemu Bhaag Jhonny. The multi-faceted Zoa has also been a model with Lakme Fashion Week for a brief time.

 How has been your journey from direction to movies and now web series?

It’s been an interesting and grueling struggle, the web series platform was tough- shooting a lot more in one day than you do on a movie set, so effort and focus are double – a good test for exercising our skill, I’m very thankful for the web series platform as thanks to this a lot more stories can be told and that gives a lot more opportunities for us actors to perform being an assistant director was always to have some experience on a set and to learn the different aspects of film-making for the sake of my acting craft.

Tell us a little more about this show, what caught your attention that you agreed to do it?

A story about a crazy Parsi family. Always been a fan of Kersi Khambatta’s writing (being Cyrus, finding fanny) when I heard he wrote it, I jumped to it. Parsi’s have always been intriguing characters to me and getting a chance to play a Parsi girl got me excited … its offbeat a bit and everyone has shades of grey. I found the story very different from the usual stories coming up these days. Hope the audience thinks the same, my character is a very today’s girl and I hope girls can relate to it

You took up modeling in the middle, how was that phase?

Modeling was only walking the ramp for Lakme fashion week for some designers post my debut film, I tripped on the ramp once, was very scary but playing dress up is always fun.

Your social media has you striking yoga poses; tell us more about the fitness regime you follow.

I’m an Ashtanga yoga practitioner. I have found true devotion in my practice, it’s a journey of self-discovery. It isn’t just about the yoga poses or to remain fit, it’s a practice for the mind and body combined, to overcome our fears & complexes and become one with ourselves and be in a constant state of joy. I feel blessed to have found this practice and my teacher Suveer Balvi brings so much discipline and dedication to the class and the best at his job I believe. Its taught me how nothing but hard work and positivity matters and the daily dose of wisdom from our teacher is a major blessing. yoga for me now is like brushing my teeth. It’s a way of life and I am so thankful to God for bringing me to my teacher and this practice, it even made me a better actor, a more real person.

What all projects do you have in the future?

I have done a special appearance in a film called Tuesdays and Friday’s produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I have another web series coming out by a filmmaker named Adeeb Rais known for his short film Auntyjee – starring Shabana Azmi)

Give us some fashion tips that our readers can follow to look as effortlessly charming as you.

I realize when I follow my heart and what comes from within I look my best, always following trends doesn’t suit me, finding what truly suits our body type and our personality and being comfortable enough to pull it off is when we can be on point I suppose.

Apart from Akoori, are you looking at doing more web series and do you have a specific genre that you want to follow?

I would love to do more web series, any platform really. Where we can tell great stories and entertain our audience and are able to perform, at the end of it as actors we live to be part of different stories and hope to do  that till our last breath, the more the merrier.

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