She is feisty, bold and not afraid of speaking her mind. British-Asian actor Sofia Hayat calls a spade a spade. Excited about her upcoming reality TV show Superdudes, where she will be seen as a judge, Sofia admits that Indian men have a lot to learn in terms of smooth talking or general flirtation. “There were times when they said the most scandalous of things and I had to tell them that they cannot talk to a woman like that!” she says.
The show involves judging participants on the basis of their personality and charm. And despite the occasional let downs, Sofia says she had a blast. “It was all fun and flirty. But since I have been part of reality shows myself, I know the kind of pressure that they feel. I got emotionally involved with the participants and actually cried when one of them got eliminated!” she states in her crisp British accent.
A performer at heart, (she is a singer and theatreperson) Sofia believes in drifting with destiny and what the universe has in store. Talking about one of her most enriching experiences, Sofia recalls her rendezvous with David Schwimmer of Friends fame. “David asked me to relate my characters to that of an animal. He told me that the character of Ross in Friends was inspired by an ape! When I closely observed it, I was pleasantly surprised to see the subtle traits,” she says.
The actress also admits that there have been times when she took to a few not-so-professional antics to bag a role. “I was supposed to audition for a role in this ad at the age of 18. Only later did I come to know that the age limit was 15! It was too late to back out so I wore pigtails and dressed younger that I usually do. I got the role. Later when I did confess that I had lied about my age, the organisers did not mind since they thought I fit the bill best,” she giggles.