2008 Interviews

Petite & pretty

In town recently to give away goodies to the winners of a Cornetto contest and the Unish Kuri Youth Fest, the petite Amrita Rao, riding high on the success of her latest film Welcome to Sajjanpur, is bubbly and talkative. And for those who don’t know, quite a singer, too! t2 caught up with Amrita for a chat. From a simple college girl in Ishq Vishk to a tomboy in Main Hoon Na, from a traditional Indian beauty in Vivaah to a sexy siren in My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves. Which one of these roles do you identify most with? Each of these roles has been very special. What’s your favourite look in real life? I do follow trends but it has to be comfort with confidence for me. It is important to wear clothes that reflect your personality and not buy something just because it looks good on a mannequin. What is it you love to do when you are not shooting? I love reading, listening to music, watching films and meeting friends. You sing very well! Do you plan to take it up as a profession? Singing is an integral part of me. I pursued singing for four years in school but right now I want to concentrate on films. Your favourite authors? Sidney Sheldon and Paulo Coelho. Your style statement… A pair of comfortable jeans with a long jacket or a thin trenchcoat. Jewel pop picks? Diamonds and only diamonds. Favourite fragrance? Cartier. Indian designers you admire? Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Gauri and Nayanika. When I start wearing saris, I would like to wear Sabyasachi’s creations. Designers whose creations you wear… Manish Malhotra and Priya & Chintan. On the international front, it’s Salvatore Ferragamo. A fashion faux pas you made... Many! I went to the premiere of a new film in a pair of jeans when everyone else was dressed in Armani, Versace and so on. I wanted to run away! A Bollywood actor you admire... Hrithik Roshan. I would love to work with him. And actress… Konkona Sensharma. I think she is very natural. Promising newcomers… Shahana Goswami. I haven’t seen her in Rock On!! yet but I hear she is very good. The other one has to be Prateek Babbar. After all he has mother Smita Patil’s genes! You are getting rave reviews for your performance in Welcome to Sajjanpur. How was the experience? My director Shyam Benegal told me that I would have to transform myself into a village belle. I spent about 30 days in a village set-up and five days mastering the art of pottery. I learnt Baghelkhand and was myself surprised at the fluency with which I spoke the language. I was so amused at myself, me as Kamla the potter, it was a drastic change from the characters I have portrayed so far. How was it working with Pakistani rock band Jal for their album Boondh? It was great. I loved the track Love Sparks Chalte Chalte. What next? I have a glam role in Anil Kapoor’s Shortcut and a cricket film Victory with Harman Baweja. RAPID FIRE Ice cream or chocolates: Chocolate ice cream! Salwar or jeans: Jeans Micro mini or LBD (little black dress): LBD Cocktail or mocktail: Mocktail. Shahid or Shreyas: I bonded very well with Shreyas. Shahid and I started together four years back. I would like to do more films with him. Imran or Ranbir: Ranbir. Style or comfort: Comfort, hands down. You would go gay for: No one! A Hollywood actor you would like to get naughty with: I am not a naughty girl (with a twinkle in her eyes). Amrita the singer or Amrita the actress: I would like to be remembered as a good actress.

The Benegal picnic

Amrita rao on how she became radha the potter in Sajjanpur Is it true that you never even asked for the script and said yes to Welcome To Sajjanpur because it was Shyam Benegal? It was Shyambabu all the way. Honestly, Shyam Benegal is revered in my community. He belongs to the same community as me and we speak the same language. We are from south of Karnataka. I have grown up hearing so much about him. Not just him, about Girish Karnad, Guru Dutt, Anant Nag... they are all from my community. I became a fan of Shyambabu’s films only when I watched Zubeidaa. I wanted to work with him and so it was just a matter of one call from Mr Benegal. Yes, he is the only director whom I didn’t even ask what the story was or what my role was. It was just YES, I am working with you. Just the respect and regard I have for him. Did you regret your decision when you found out what the story was? No, not at all. Welcome to Sajjanpur is hilarious and is exactly as much fun as the promos are showing. “Ek se ek vichitra human being hain Sajjanpur mein...” It is actually like that. A small village filled with peculiar characters. When you watch the film, you will fall in love with all of them. You are laughing throughout the film because the circumstances and characters are so funny. In retrospect, of course, you will realise that all those things you laughed about are actually some of the grave issues our country is combating. Did you find out what prompted him to sign you? I think he saw Vivah and he thought that I could fit into the role in his film very well. What’s your role? I play a potter in the film, which goes well with the very rustic background. Kamla is a girl from Sajjanpur. It’s the role of a total villager.... illiterate villager who doesn’t know how to read and write. She is very naive and completely dependent on Mahadev (Shreyas Talpade) who is the only literate guy in the village. He is the go-to guy; no one can do without him. That is how she comes in touch with Mahadev.... Shyamji wanted these peculiarities in the film, things that would give realism to the film. Did you learn pottery for the film? Of course I did. Shyamji wanted to see me in the act of pottery. He had kept a special trainer, a local from the village, to come and teach me. Whenever I got a day off from the shoot, I would go and sit on the wheel. I had to make a pot in one of the scenes, so I had to make it happen. And honestly, it was a very good experience for me. The costume, the get-up helped a lot. Because Kamla has a typical look in the film. The sari she is wearing, the low make-up..., Shyambabu is so detailed in his approach, even making my skin tone just right. Everything was taken care of. What was the feeling of being directed by the institution called Shyam Benegal? He doesn’t believe in wasting time on the sets. He is very fast. He is not into taking unnecessary retakes. It was sync-sound, so everything needed to be perfect. Also, Shyambabu is all for improvising on the sets. That suited Shreyas well, because he is constantly improvising. Also Ilaji (Arun), she doesn’t stick to dialogues at all and adds so much value on her own. That can only happen if the director gives you complete liberty. And Shyam Benegal is like that. He is a wholesome film-maker as opposed to an art film-maker. I seriously don’t think you can call his films art cinema. Twenty years ago he was ahead of his time. He went against the type and experimented with different subjects. Today, we see young film-makers doing the same thing. Now people are waking up and wanting to envision films differently. So working with Shyam Benegal in 2008 was like working with any commercial director of today’s time. He is still so passionate about cinema, so young at heart.... He is a huge foodie, always talking about food. Thanks to Shyam Benegal, shooting for Welcome to Sajjanpur was like a picnic! In your last release My Name is Anthony Gonsalves you went for a sexy glam look. Now you are playing a de-glam villager. You are not trying to sport any definite image... I just want to do good cinema. I have always wanted to do that. And apart from me wanting, good films and good roles walked up to me. Those kind of directors came my way. That too at such an early stage in my career. The Tum miley song in Anthony Gonsalves had a nice look for me — modern and contemporary. It was not consciously done... there was an opportunity to showcase a new look. I would love to do something my age... contemporary, modern...within my comfort level. What’s next? Anil Kapoor’s Short Cut. Akshaye Khanna is opposite me. And there’s Victory co-starring Harman Baweja.

Success was bestowed upon me

Amrita Rao's “Welcome to Sajjanpur” releases this Friday (September 19). Not only did the movie give her the chance to work with a director like Shyam Benegal, it also sees her looking completely different from all the other characters she has played so far. Masala.com spoke to her about this film, her love for cinema, men and other issues: Why did you chose to do Shyam Banegal’s film Welcome to Sajjanpur in the middle of your commercial career? Right from my childhood I have grown watching and hearing about Shyam Banegal's films and since then I cherished working with him. Also we belong to the same community. We belong to Karnataka and we are Mangaloreans. When I saw ‘Zubeida’, I was sure I wanted to work with Shyam Benegal. When I got a call from his office, I was very thrilled. When I met him, I was in totally in awe of him. I never asked him any questions about the film at all. All I knew at that point of time was that I had a dying desire of working with him. It was like a dream come true. How was it playing a potter in Welcome To Sajjanpur? I loved the look of the potter in which Shyam Benegal took personal interest. His daughter Piya has given the fashion designer a royal run for choosing the ethnic village look for me which I really adore. Shyamji personally supervised the rural look and he used to sit with the makeup artist to advise him about which colours to use while he was busy making me wear the makeup. He wanted a sun burnt look with minimal makeup. Also the look had to be matt. Piya got the accessories and the costumes from the outskirts of Mumbai, somewhere from a small village market. What did you learn from the film? Lots. I also learnt making pots in the bargain. Isn't that great? It is all about how one needs to settle the clay mix along with the wheel that has to be rotated with a proper momentum. Your earlier films had you looking sexy. Was it a deliberate choice? It wasn't deliberate. The characters suited me and how I wished to do them. Also I feel my face and my persona changes in accordance to the character and the look I have. Moreover, I try my utmost to get into the skin of the character. As actors I think not only me but everybody likes to try different kind of roles. Were you insecure and chose a glam look to get one up on other actresses? No not at all. I have no intentions of dethroning any of my contemporaries in whatever they have achieved. I believe in doing my job with perfection and I compete with myself to do better and better. I always want to give a better performance in my role than the previous one. I also believe that if one nurtures bad notions even for their friends, one will never possibly attain success. At the beginning of your career you saw success with movies like Main Hoon Na and The Legend of Bhagat Singh. What went wrong thereafter? I was so raw at the initial stage of my career. I did not know what box office success meant. Neither did I know about the critics and the trade analysts. I was all excited about doing films with the stars. I was not keen on even thinking about what will happen. In short I was pretty naïve. What I only cared about was to concentrate on my performance and everything happened on its own. I believe success was bestowed upon me. How have you handled pressure? How have you been able to distinguish between people in the big bad Bollywood? By not getting into them. I do not get into any gossip that may be making the rounds in the industry. I have always kept out of the scoops and speculations. I remain unflustered. And also never like to cut down on my life system. It is my existence that matters and I do not need to portray myself unnecessarily. I do whatever I feel is ethically right. But you were linked with Shahid Kapur and a few others? I do not need to react to any gossip. I have always ignored them. I suppose this comes along as a baggage for our profession. I need not clarify or react to any such news or speculation as it dies away with time. I presume I am not answerable for such gossip. Reacting to them does not befit my dignity and self respect. Are you dating some guy now? No What qualities in a man would attract you? Like someone understanding. He should know that one who has entered his life needs some space. Like he should allow one to pursue the profession she is in. He should also allow her to fulfil her dream along with him. Since she will be a part of him after entering his life, she should be equally respected as a woman and vice versa. A woman should be treated as the strength and should not be made to be feeble for the mere reason that she is born a woman.

Amrita Rao on her shock photoshoot

Bollywood's girl-next-door Amrita Rao shocked all and sundry when she shed her sedate look and featured on the cover page of fashion magazine Verve in a revealing red outfit. But she says it wasn't a conscious move to change her image. The actress, who will be seen in a deglamourised role in her forthcoming film Welcome To Sajjanpur, featured in the July edition of the magazine. "It wasn't a conscious decision to be bold or anything. It all depends on how different artists envision me. If Soorajji (Barjatya) could see me as this simple, docile small town girl in Vivah, then another person saw me the way I am on the magazine cover," said Amrita, who has only two big hits in her kitty - Main Hoon Na and Vivah. Amrita is also proud of her girl-next-door image. "But when I did the Verve cover, people woke up to another side of me. I wouldn't say this is a more glamorous side of me. I'd say I was glamorous in Vivah and Main Hoon Na as well, though in an ethnic way," she said. Recently, the actress shot a special song with Sanjay Dutt and Anil Kapoor for the film Short Cut. You recently shot a special song with Sanjay Dutt and Anil Kapoor. It's not an item song, as people seem to think. They both made me immensely comfortable. They have their own unique dancing style. Since both are legendary actors I didn't know whom to match steps with. So I just decided to be myself and do my own thing. I must say all of us in Short Cut were overwhelmed by Sanjay's gesture. He came down to Mumbai only to shoot the song with us. You did a rather bold cover for Verve magazine. What brought that on? It wasn't a conscious decision to be bold or anything. It all depends on how different artists envision me. If Soorajji could see me as this simple, docile small town girl in Vivah, then another person saw me the way I am on the magazine cover. And if Farah Khan hadn't seen me as the grungy rebellious babe in Main Hoon Na after Ishq Vishk, I wouldn't have undergone such a change of image. But the sweet girl-next-door image stays with you? And I'm very proud of that image. But when I did the Verve cover, people woke up to another side of me. I wouldn't say this is a more glamorous side of me. I'd say I was glamorous in Vivah and Main Hoon Na as well, though in an ethnic way. I hope I'm able to carry off all kinds of looks. At the moment, I'm doing three films. In Shyam Benegal's Welcome To Sajjanpur, I'm an illiterate village girl. In Anees Bazmi's Victory, I'm a Jaisalmer girl, but at the same time she's a medical student. So I play a small town but modern girl. I like such roles. But in Neeraj Vora's film I'm a completely glamorous girl. It's set in the film industry. Why aren't you in Sooraj Barjatya's Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi? I wasn't offered that. I'd love to be in anything that Soorajji does. I consider my association with the Barjatyas to be very special. Recently, when Soorajji was watching the rushes of Ek Vivah..., he sent me a very sweet message saying he remembered my character from Vivah. So maybe I was being missed. I like that thought. You seem to be a fragile girl. How do you withstand all the negativity in the film industry? I don't think I'd have been able to be what I am if it wasn't for my mother. I started in the industry very young. I needed my mom to look into every aspect of my career. Today, I'm working with both Neeraj Vora and Shyam Benegal. Both unique in their own way! You're the inspiration for MF Husain's latest paintings? I think he has immortalised me. When a senior journalist informed me I was Husain saab's latest muse and that he was painting me, I was overwhelmed. I think it was the character in Vivah that convinced Husain saab.

'I always thought Shyam Benegal made only art films'

Amrita Rao has a versatile face -- she can look like the average college-goer in Ishq Vishk, a demure lass in Vivah or an outrageous tomboy in My Name is Anthony Gonsalves. In Shyam Benegal's upcoming film, Amrita will don the look of an illiterate village girl. She talks to Patcy N about working with Benegal, costar Shreyas Talpade, and much more. Tell us about Welcome to Sajjanpur. Welcome to Sajjanpur is a satire. It is about the characters, who stay in [a village called] Sajjanpur. Everybody in the village has different stories. The film is made in a humorous way but once you walk out [of the theatre], and think of the movie, you will find issues that still exist in rural India. But it is not preachy. I play Kamala, a potter. I have a very rustic earthy look in the film. She is an illiterate so she has to count on Mahadev [Shreyas Talpade], who is a letter writer in the village. Kamala is gullible and innocent. Her world is Sajjanpur. Kamala believes that Mahadev understands her. For Kamala, Mahadev is her hero. She is awestruck by him. Your experience of working with Shyam Benegal? Working with Shyam Benegal is just like working with any contemporary director. He is very fast and believes in no wastage of time. He doesn't take unnecessary shots. The film was shot in sync sound, in 29 days. I have always thought of Benegal as a wholesome filmmaker, where one gets scope for a great performance. I always thought he made only art films. I never really understood what art films were. He has a realistic approach to cinema, something that today's filmmakers are trying to ape. Shyam Benegal and you come the same community -- both of you are Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins. Benegal is a personality, has always been revered in my community. I saw Zubeida when I was studying. Since then, I have always wished to work with him. When I received a call from him, we met and I was finalised immediately. There were no questions asked. Did you communicate in Konkani with him? (Shyam Benegal told us that if he was angry, he could speak in Konkani without anyone knowing.) We spoke in Konkani, but there was no swearing. It was working with an actor from the same community, plus my favourite director. Since the film was shot in sync sound, did you have to prepare? Yes. We had to be well versed with our dialogues. Since we were speaking a different dialect of Hindi called Bhagelkhandi, I had to put in an extra effort to get the lines right. There was no scope for mistakes. The dialogue delivery had to be perfect. How was your experience working with Shreyas? Shreyas made me cry with his performance in Iqbal. In Dor, I found him multi-talented. When I met him on the sets as Mahadev, he was completely in the garb of the role. Shreyas was not only speaking the Bhagelkhandi dialect effortlessly, he was also doing extempore improvising. I was very impressed because he comes from a Marathi background. Yet, there was no trace of Marathi in his Bhagelkhandi dialect. I was so inspired that I worked twice as hard on my dialogues. I would sit with [dialogue writer] Ashok Mishra everyday after the shoot and practice my lines. You look very different in the film. Shyam Benegal supervised the whole make-up. He wanted me to look darker, as he wanted the sunburnt look of a potter. Plus, he wanted the low make-up look. Costumes and jewellery were bought from a village market. He did not want a designer look, so that was very meticulously looked into. Did you learn pottery for the film? Yes, I had trained for a few days. A villager was brought in to teach me. There is a scene, which requires me to do pottery, so I had to learn it. It is difficult to pursue an art like pottery living in the city. But I am fortunate that I got the opportunity to learn it. I made many pots. You have been doing few films. Are you being very selective about your roles? As I am from a non-filmi background, I should say I was lucky enough to get the right kind of films like Ishq Vishk, Masti and Main Hoon Na. But what is important is to sustain in this industry. You can get a good debut, but then you have to find a place for yourself and the challenge is to sustain it. I haven't been depressed, as I have always got good projects although there was a bit of a lull before Vivaah. But Vivaah changed everything for me. You got yourself a hot makeover in My Name is Anthony Gonsalves? I had not seen myself as the tomboyish rebellious girl. I would have remained the Ishq Vishk girl but some creative minds got the hidden talent out of me. Anthony was a very young peppy role, so the new look went with the character. Which directors would you like to work with? I have worked with some of the finest directors -- from Ken Ghosh, Raj Kumar Santhoshi, Farah Khan to Sooraj Bharjatya. And all of them have been fabulous. But I would like to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I have always admired his films and his vision. He portrays his heroines in the most beautiful manner.

"Shreyas is innately funny" - Amrita Rao

Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest of them all? In an industry filled with pretty faces, actress Amrita Rao surely stands out as the prettiest actress in tinsel town. Her sweet girl-next-door act in Ishq Vishk won her a million fans and her funky avatar in Main Hoon Naa pleasantly surprised many. Yet it was Sooraj Barjatya's Vivah after which no one doubted her acting prowess. Last seen in a cameo in Shaurya, Amrita is now all excited about her next release- Welcome to Sajjanpur. In an exclusive chat (interspersed with a lot of her trademark cute giggles) with Bollywood Hungama., the extremely pretty Amrita talks about her experiences working on this film, her equation with her co-stars and also reveals her future course of action. After a sensitive cameo act in Shaurya, you are back doing a lighthearted film like Welcome to Sajjanpur… How does it feel? I am super duper excited (laughs). Being a part of a Shyam Benegal movie was actually a high point for me when I first read the script. He is somebody who is liked and revered by everyone in my community. In fact, not many people know that we belong to same community and we speak the same language (Konkani). So, people like Girsh Karnad, Ananth Nag, and Shyam Benegal have always been looked upon by our community. Then of course I happened to see Zubeidaa when I was studying and that is one film that I still count as one of my favorite films. So when Shyamji called me for this role, I didn't ask him any questions and I just said yes to the film. Because, I so wanted to be on board under his direction. Did you ever ask him why did he think of you for this role? I did ask him and he said that he had seen me in Vivah and felt that I most appropriately suited the role in terms of look and age and all that he was looking for. So yes…I got lucky (laughs). First things first, where is Sajjanpur? Does it exist or is it a fictitious place? Whatever we have shown about Sajjanpur does exist but at the end of the day a name really doesn't matter because there is a place called Sujjanpur in India and there is another place called Sarhanpur in India. Like wise there is Sajjanpur; the film set in Sajjanpur, is thoroughly entertaining and you will just laugh out loud and leave the cinema hall feeling good. Not just that, in fact when you come out of the theatres, you will realize that in retrospect, some of the things which you laughed about during the film are some of the grave issues that our country is facing. Even today in the so-called modern India there are villages like Sajjanpur which face the issues that the film portrays. What is the film all about? The film is a fascinating story of the people living in this village called Sajjanpur. Mahadev (Shreyas Talpade) is the protagonist of the film and he's the common factor amongst all the characters in the film. He is the only literate guy in the village and everybody comes to him to write their letters. Apart from being a light hearted comedy, the film is a satire to some extent. We are supposed to play ourselves. Nobody is trying too hard to be funny or resorting to slapstick comedy. The village Sajjanpur is full of mad-hatters and we want people to come and forget their own world come into this small village and have fun with us (laughs). The village Sajjanpur is full of mad-hatters and we want people to come and forget their own world, come into this small village, and have fun with us The film was earlier called Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur. Why did the title change to Welcome to Sajjanpur? Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur is a title you might like after you have seen the film and you've fallen in love with the characters. Only then you would connect with the title Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur. But Welcome to Sajjanpur for the lay person is more inviting and welcoming. You are playing a village belle for the first time. Tell us something more about your character? I play Kamla in the film. Like I said, Kamla is illiterate and cannot read or write. She plays a potter and it's a very rustic, earthy, rural Indian character. Sajjanpur is her world, she cannot see beyond Sajjanpur because she has never ventured out. She comes to Mahadev to write her letters and of course hilarious situation revolve around it. How easy or difficult was it getting into the skin of the character? There were aspects to my character that were not that difficult while some aspects were indeed challenging. For e.g. the costumes worn by my character Kamla in the film are extremely earthy and authentic. Pia Benegal has worked on the costumes and she worked very meticulously. I had to work on getting the dialect right. We speak Bagelkhandi in the film which is a dialect from North India. It's a different dialect of Hindi just like Bihari or Bhojpuri or Haryani. We had Ashok Mishra, who has written the dialogues and screenplay of the film, and is actually from that district, assisting us in getting the dialect right. It was an amazing experience speaking the language and very different from the usual, routine stuff. You are paired with Shreyas Talpade for the first time? How was the experience working with him? Shreyas and I bonded well throughout the making of the film. In fact, I remember, the first time I saw Shreyas was on the sets of Om Shanti Om. Farah knew that I was supposed to work with him and she called him into the van and he came in his old man get up. That was my first glimpse of Shreyas Talpade (laughs). After that we had a couple of workshops with Mr. Shyam Benegal, which is when I started to get to know Shreyas better. Post that, on the sets, when I saw Shreyas working, he was completely into his character Mahadev. He was not only effortless with his dialogue delivery but was also improvising on the dialect. I got very impressed and I felt that I should work very hard on my lines too (laughs). Did he play any pranks on you as he is known to be a prankster? There were no pranks as such but he is innately funny. He has this subtle sense of humor and because of that the scenes in the film are so funny. We were constantly improvising and he used to always come up with such funny additions that we couldn't stop laughing. It was indeed a really nice experience. So where all have you shot this film? We've shot almost the whole film at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. We had recreated the whole village in a set. The art director has done a fabulous job. Welcome to Sajjanpur is directed by one of the finest directors of our country, Shyam Benegal. In fact not many actresses get a chance to work with a legend like him, so how has it been working with him? Mr. Benegal is someone whom I have always looked up to and admired. In fact the very name Mr. Shyam Benegal comes with certain pre-conceived notions such as an art-filmmaker or a filmmaker who only makes serious films. But I don't think that is true. I have always perceived Shyam Benegal as somebody who was ahead of his time, somebody who made wholesome cinema, which had profound actors with great scope for performances. Each of his films touched upon a new topic. In fact, I think 20 years ago, during his time everybody was adopting a safe & commercial formula. He swam against the tide, and made films, which 20 years later, today the young filmmakers are trying to achieve. Today when I work with a Shyam Benegal, I don't see it any different from working with a contemporary young director. He may be vastly experienced, but is still young and contemporary in his outlook. He doesn't believe in wasting time on the sets and is thorough with his homework. He also gives his actors the scope to improvise which makes the whole experience all the more enjoyable. Have you been a fan of his films? Which is your favorite? Of course…Like I said…I loved Zubeidaa. I loved Mandi; Junoon was a nice film, Kalyug was good too and Ankur his debut film as a director too is one of my favorites. Do you think a film like Welcome to Sajjanpur would appeal mainly to the people in smaller towns and interiors or will it find an audience even amongst the urban multiplex going public? I think it's a film that will be liked by everybody. The multiplex audiences are going to love the film and at the same time even the masses in the smaller towns are also going to adore the film. At least that's what we are hoping. It's a very normal, relatable, attractive, fun film presented in a contemporary fashion. Talking about your career, your first film Ab Ke Baras sank at the B.O., you were noticed in The Legend of Bhagat Singh, got your first big hit with Ishq Vishk, had some really big hits like Masti & Main Hoon Naa and then after a gap of few years you probably had your biggest hit with Vivah. Post Vivah, a lot of people feel your career hasn't gone the way it should have. Do you feel the same too? Well…to be frank…sometimes I do because post Vivah I immediately did a South film and that took away my focus and also took away a lot of my time. I wanted to do it as an experiment and to discover a different experience of acting, mouthing lines and reacting to lines you don't understand. I also got a chance to work with the biggest superstar of Telugu film industry Mahesh Babu so it was a good experience for me. The South Indian sensibilities are different from people in the Hindi film industry. But still, Vivah is a film and a role that's given me so much of positive equity among the masses and ultimately nobody can take that away from you. Even today when the film is aired on TV the TRP is soaring high. In fact, recently, when I was shooting in Jodhpur, I came out of my van and what I see is this the whole group of people waiting for me and calling me 'Poonam Poonam' I think for them I will always be their Poonam. But don't you think you could have cashed in on the success of Vivah and signed some big films? I don't think that way but yes the people who wanted to approach me for a role did do so. I was offered Anil Kapoor's Shortcut even before Vivah released. There was another film too, which was planned but fizzled out because the maker made some other movie. So I have always had producers and directors approaching me but its just that they looked at me differently after Vivah. After all, Vivah is one of the rare few heroine oriented films in the country which worked. What are the other film that's on your plate? Are you also doing any more South films? No I am not doing any South films because like I said it takes away a lot of your time and your focus as well. You are completely disconnected from Bollywood. Doing a Telugu film is as good as doing a Thai film. I am doing quite a few interesting roles this year. There is Anil Kapoor Productions' Shortcut which has me playing a very glamorous role. It's a thriller with a right mix of comedy, romance and some twists. Then I have Victory with Harman Baweja. I play a girl from Jaisalmer. She is a medical student from a small town in India, which is very highly influenced by tourism; there is this trace of modern yet ethnic element to her character. 2 of your biggest hits have been with Shahid Kapoor. Any plans to do more films with him since people feel you make a super pair? Well, that's the best part about it because Shahid and myself also enjoy working with each other. To top it all, its very complimenting when people walk up and say 'Shahid- Amrita Super Hit jodi' because in this generation perhaps we are the only pair who have this 'Super Hit jodi' tag line. We have grown up watching SRK- Kajol, Aamir- Juhi , Anil- Maduri and Govinda- Karisma. It is very encouraging for both of us because when your audience actually wants to see you on-screen together then I think half of your battle is won, and its definitely an advantage. The industry has seen a lot of new talent like Ranbir, Harman, Imran, Sikander make their presence felt. What do you think of the new, emerging talent? Any of them that you would like to work with? I am working with Harman in Victory. I would certainly like to work with Ranbir, Imran. I think the Generation Next of Bollywood is stepping in and the young batch is just filling up. When Shahid and I had stepped in, the Gen-next had just about shown its presence, there were not enough actors of our age to work opposite and we both faced that situation initially. Now fortunately things are changing. The more the merrier. (Laughs) Lastly give us three good reasons to watch Welcome to Sajjanpur One because I am there in it, two because it's a Shyam Benegal film and finally because it's great film (laughs)

‘I’m Not Ready For A Relationship’

The little lost girl in Main Hoon Naa has grown up fast into a smart actress today. Amrita Rao says she'd rather chase her career than boyfriends! Is there a new Amrita Rao on the block? I guess that's the advantage of being an actress, you discover a new you everytime. My new look in Shortkut of a glam diva was envisioned by Anil Kapoor, Manish Malhotra and Caesar. But after my shoot, I pack up and go home and I'm the same Amrita Rao. Tell us a bit about your role in Shortkut? Is it different? The best part is the original storyline. This is a much more glamourous role and there's a lot of costume, drama and make-up. How was it working with your co-stars Akshaye Khanna and Arshad Warsi? Arshad is so funny, I think this is his best role after Circuit in Munnabhai. We had a scene together where I had to be serious and he was being funny and I burst out laughing! Both he and Akshaye are fine actors and I had to pull up my socks to be at par. Any more films in the pipeline? I have Victory coming up with Harman Baweja which is about cricket. I play the role of a medical student and am hoping for the best. Working with Shyam Benegal in Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur must have been a first? It was a huge honour for me. I have watched all his films and when we met, I didn't ask him any questions but immediately said yes. A re you happy with the way your career is heading? I am very happy. I don't come from a filmy background yet I am getting better work every year. I'm going slow and steady and have no godfather in the industry. I am quite particular about the films I choose. What about your personal life? Are any of the rumours true? Absolutely not. If I was seeing someone, it would be difficult to hide. I'm very much single and hope my dream man is out there. I'm not ready for a relationship. Right now my focus is to evolve as an actor.

Very hot & very innocent!

After your hot new look and makeover, has the way men look at you changed? I only hope so (laughs). I have always had guys complimenting me. But this time, I am getting extra compliments from my male friends. When did you first become aware of the male gaze? When I was in my teens. I guess when I was 15 or 16, I realised how men observe women (laughs). Do you ever feel uncomfortable with the male gaze? It certainly makes anybody a little uncomfortable. Actually, it doesn’t make you uncomfortable but it makes you a little conscious. It all depends upon how each person looks at you. Some people look at you with an ugly gaze. You can feel lust in their eyes, which is a put-off. How do men want their women to be? They like their women to be very hot and at the same time very innocent (laughs). Do you feel men always want a hot girlfriend but a simple and homely wife? I think so. That’s very typical of a man. They want a hot girlfriend but when it comes to marrying, they want a homely and innocent wife. Would you like to be labelled a *censored* symbol? I would like to be a girl who a guy finds very hot, but at the same time he wants to take her home to his mother. Are guys and girls treated differently in your family? Not at all! What kind of relationship do you share with your father? My dad has been very broad-minded but I have been so shy that I could never discuss a guy in front of him. The day I have a boyfriend, I think I will ask my aunts and one of my best friends to convey it to my parents. I will be too shy to talk about it. Do you have a brother? I don’t. My dad says I don’t need a ‘sun’ because I have a ‘star’ (laughs). If a girl is not good-looking, do men tend to be less interested in her? We can’t make a generalisation about all men because I have seen some very good-looking men marrying not-so-good-looking girls. Maybe they have got attracted to them because of other reasons like their personality, their qualifications and so on. In Vivah, your character Poonam gets burnt but finds acceptance from her fiancé Prem. God forbid, if such a thing had happened in real life what would you expect from your fiancé? It is a very profound question. Well, I would want him to treat me normally as if nothing had happened. There is a very profound dialogue by the doctor in the film — he tells Prem (Shahid Kapoor) that Poonam is now going to look at herself through his eyes. That was a very-well-thought-out statement which was absolutely true. I would just want my life partner to treat me normally and not treat me with pity or make me feel any different. And what if it were to happen the other way round? I would definitely stand by him because when you decide to be a part of a person’s life, it’s the most important decision of your life; you have to stand by that. What if your man disapproves of a revealing outfit that you have worn? I will certainly not wear it. If he prefers me in certain kinds of clothes I will make sure I wear those; but not at the cost of being uncomfortable. Do men like women dressed in revealing clothes? I know a lot of guys who don’t like it. The kind of guys who like women dressed provocatively are the ones who only want to have fun. If a guy is serious about a girl, he will not want her to be dressed in a revealing manner. What if your man makes a pass at another woman at a party? I will feel very disappointed and will ask for an explanation. If such a situation arises, it’s certain that the guy is not interested in the girl anymore. Will you be able to forgive him? Unless you actually go through this, you never know how you will react and how profoundly it would affect you at that particular time. If a man raises his hand on you and attributes it to his loss of temper, would you forgive him? Umm … it depends on the relation I share with the guy. If it’s my husband, I would ensure that such an action is never repeated again. I don’t think that there is any justification for such a thing. Are men commitment phobic? I think women are equally commitment phobic, probably even more. What do you think of live-in relationships? If the guy and the girl are okay with it and both of them have no objection from their families, it’s the best way of knowing each other. Do you believe in love at first sight? No, love is a very deep emotion; you cannot fall in love at first sight. What can happen at first sight is attraction. MAULI SINGH (BOLLYWOOD NEWS SERVICE)

Grounded!

When working in Bombay To Bangkok and you Amrita in My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves did it ever cross your mind that the film would flop? Shreyas; The storyline of the film was very interesting, all the characters had depth and Nagesh Kukunoor is known to make gripping films. No, I never thought that the film would not do well. Amrita; It was a big project with E. Niwas and I had a lot of hopes pinned on the film. What was your first reaction when you heard that your films were panned by critics? Shreyas; I was very disappointed the way the critics ripped apart Nagesh’s script. My only solace was that I was appreciated as an actor, not only by critics but by the audiences as well! Amrita; I was in Sydney when the film was released so I was not around to get a feel of the feedback. The best of films flop so I just took it as having being part of something I really enjoyed. What according to you went wrong with film? Shreyas; I think it lost pace somewhere in the middle. And the reviews made it worse. Many people go to watch a film after reading the review, and I guess stayed away when the not-so- flattering comments came out in print. Amrita; The film had a good storyline, some very good performances by Anupam Kher and Pawan Malhotra, and Nikhil Dwivedi was confident for a newcomer. I really would not like to analyse what went wrong! Do you think by departing from tender and touching films like Dor and Iqbal, Nagesh Kukunoor made a mistake by making a light-hearted Bombay To Bangkok? Shreyas; See, Nagesh cannot keep making films with similar subjects. Like any creative filmmaker he also likes to experiment. Amrita; I would say the same. Filmmakers want to try out new genres. Will a flop like this affect your career in any way, and do you regret doing the films? Shreyas; From the seven films I have done four have been hits, which is pretty good for an actor. And like I said no one had anything bad to say about my performance. Amrita; I never regret doing anything of which I have been a part. We all do certain things hoping for the best but sometimes things are always not hunky dory! You played a cook who turns a conman in the film and Amrita a glamorous production assistant, a far cry from her girl-next-door image. Would you like to experiment with your characters again? Shreyas; I am working in Shyam Benegal’s Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur in which I play a villager who makes a living by writing letters for the illiterate. If playing different characters, like I did in Bombay…… is taking a risk. I am willing to take the risk again and again. Amrita; It was not that I did or wore something outrageous! And my fans liked my attitude and body language which went well with my new look. My donning a mini-skirt has got nothing to do with the failure of the film, and if need be I would certainly play a glamorous part again.

Amrita Rao gets sporty

Amrita Rao, who was last seen in the dud My Name is Anthony Gonsalves, will star with Harman Baweja in Victory. The story revolves around a small town boy from Jaisalmer who goes on to become the best cricketer in the world. What Victory is all about? Victory is about a Rajasthani boy from a small town who wanted to become a cricketer. The film has Brett Lee along with other Australian, New Zealand and Indian cricketers. What is your character called in the movie and how different is it from your past characters? I play a medical student from Jaisalmer. Her name is Nandini. I have never experienced living this kind of a character before. It was a novel experience. What made you select this film? I really loved the script. I also thought the canvas of the film was huge and the role has plenty of potential. Are you cricket fan? I am a huge cricket fan. I witnessed the semifinal of IPL. I am glad that I doing a film which revolves around cricket. How many cricketers are part of the film? Brett Lee, Mike Hussey, Stuart Clarke, Symonds and Katich. Have you met all of them? Yes, I have interacted with them What is the USP of this film? The story and its canvas. Your best scene from the movie? There are plenty of interesting scenes. I hope audience will love me in the movie How was your chemistry with Harman? Herman is a through professional. He acts well. He is a very good actor and he has extraordinary dancing skills. Your forthcoming films are… Along with Victory there is Mr Shyam Benegal's Mahadev and Anil Kapoor's Productions’ Shortcut. Who is your favorite co-actor? Well. I don’t want to upset any of my co-actors by taking one name but I enjoyed working with Shahid Kapoor, Harman Baweja, and Shreyas Talpade.

I'm a true Gemini, says Amrita Rao

She is a silent player. Pretty and petite Amrita Rao, chats up with HT City as she turns 27 today. You had a super successful film, Vivah, behind you. Why did you go down south? With a production house like Padmalya Films and a co-star like Mahesh Babu, Atithi was just the right film to debut with. Langugae was the only issue, so I actually wrote my dialogues in Hindi to learn them. Actors are worshiped down south.. did you get to enjoy the same? (Laughs) No.. I had no cutouts of mine being put at the theatre. It’s a hugely hero dominated industry. But yeah.. the fans are very passionate in the south. You will now be seen in Shyam Benegal’s Mahadev. What’s is the film all about? This film will surprise everyone. It’s a romantic comedy and both Shreyas and I speak a typical dialect from north India. Mahadev will be a real significant film in my profile so far. Do you agree you are a typical Gemini? Yeah.. I have read Geminis are peaceful, who have an eye for finer things. That ways, yes, I'm a true Gemini. I prefer to be liberal and non-judgmental, which helps me reaching out to the people in a better way. And yes I am fond of beauty, be it clothes, jewelley or just life. It has to be the best. What next? Besides Mahadev, there is Victory and Shortcut.

Amrita Rao: Must try Love Sparks

From the quintessential 'girl next door' to Bollywood babe, Amrita Rao has come a long way. Remember her teeny bopper look in Main Hoon Na and the subtle transformation into a blushing bride in Vivah? Well then, you may rub your eyes in disbelief, now that the girl is all out to seduce you with her sex bomb image. We recently caught up with the actress at Pakistani band Jal's album release and got talking. Dressed in a eye-blinding gold dress, gold eye shadow and sparkling silver slippers, Amrita Rao was in no mood to be ignored. Buzz18: Describe how you are feeling today Amrita: Today has been an eventful and memorable day. For me it was associating myself with the best when it comes to music and ice-cream. As an actress one gets the opportunity to endorse so many products but very few of them are tasty. Buzz18: How does Amrita Rao the actress fit in with Jal's music in the video? Amrita: Well, you'll see when you watch the Chalte Chalte music video. It's a soft romantic story which sees me playing me and Jal playing themselves. It has a very interesting story line and it is beautifully sung by Farhan and composed by Gohar and Shazi. Buzz18: What's your favourite flavour of ice-cream? Amrita: My favourite flavour would have to be chocolate. But you must definitely try out almond praline. (giggles) Buzz18: What's the wildest thing you would do with chocolate ice-cream? Amrita: (Laughs) The wildest thing I would try to probably do is consume an entire carton of ice-cream in a day! Buzz18: Wouldn't that affect your fitness regime? Amrita: No way. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn’t affect my body at all. Buzz18: Tell us a little about your transformation from the girl-next-door to glam doll. Amrita: An actress is as limited or as good as the opportunity provided. I guess when you see me in films like Vivah or Main Hoon Na you see me in what a couple of creative minds have envisioned me as. For me and I always say that an actress must always keep surprising her audiences and each time she comes on screen she must be a different person sporting a different attitude

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