I wasn't happy with Feriha's ending: Hazal Kaya

Drama series Feriha has made Turkish actress Hazal Kaya a household name in India. The Indian fans have been curious to learn more about the actress ever since she stepped into their drawing rooms through her show. The young actress is currently in India to promote her Turkish show. In a candid chat, the actress spills the beans on her personal as well as professional life. Excerpts...

You are a huge star in India, thanks to the show Feriha. How do you look at your mercurial rise in a country that you hardly know about?
I can’t believe it, actually. We know that our TV shows are broadcasted worldwide. My mother grew up watching Indian films — she loves them a lot. So, it’s amazing how all this success gave me an opportunity to make her proud. It’s kind of emotional for me. My Twitter account is flooded with messages from Indian fans; they are so full of love. I can gauge from their messages that they are loving us in a unique way.

People were hoping for a happy ending in Feriha, season one. We even heard that the producer had to bump you off simply because you had other commitments...
I was looking forward to a happy ending too, but that didn’t happen. I was under the impression that the producer wanted to end the series and so, I signed another show. The channel wanted to continue Feriha, but since I signed a contract with other producer, I couldn’t continue. That’s why Feriha died. Believe me, I wasn’t happy with the ending at all.

You and your co-star, Cagatay Ulusoy, made a lovely couple in Feriha. Your chemistry was instrumental in the success of the show. Why haven’t you done another show with him?
Our pairing was magical, yes. But honestly, we didn’t realise that we looked so good on screen. After Feriha, I didn’t have any other co-star like him. Together, we were like magic on screen. Even though we wanted to work together, no producer was interested to cast us in another show fearing that it will appear exactly like Feriha.

The whole world wants to know if Hazal Kaya is dating someone...
I do have a boyfriend who is also an actor, Ali Atay’dan.

Do you fancy working in a Bollywood film? Who would you like to be paired opposite?
A Bollywood movie would be amazing. We can’t sing and dance in our movies, so I would love to do that in Bollywood. Aamir Khan is my favourite actor; he is exceptionally sharp and talented. I would like to meet and work with him.

We heard that you are a huge Deepika Padukone fan. Have you seen any of her films?
Yes, Deepika is my favourite actress in Bollywood. She is beautiful and talented. I am going to watch Ram Leela tonight. I like the Quantico series too. Priyanka Chopra is another star I like. The two women really inspire me to work hard.