“I have no intentions of getting married at least for the next five years”
- MAHIMA CHAUDHARY INTERVIEW

Mahima Chaudhary has been off the headlines for quite sometime now. That has given birth to speculations about her fading interest in her career. And about her plans of walking to the altar. But Chaudhary is all geared up to prove the grapevine wrong. Ask her and she would brandish a seemingly unending list of films in her big bag.

With comedies, family dramas and thrillers, the svelte lady is all set to prove her versatility. Currently concentrating on Tanuja Chandra’s Filmstar, we get her to talk on films and more…

How autobiographical does it get for you to essay a filmstar?
Though my character Hira Pandit is a top actress with lots of vanity in the film, she could have actually come from any profession. She could have been the CEO of some company and still be a narcissist. The character symbolises anyone whose only identification is his work. What is the CEO without the tag of this company? Hira Pandit’s life starts and ends with films. And in that sense, my identification with her doesn’t go beyond the acting profession. She can’t handle the frustration of being out of the limelight. For me, there is a world beyond films.

Won’t you miss the limelight if you were to be out of it?
I’d be lying if I said I won’t. You get just so used to the glamour and the fame that they become a part of your life. But I wouldn’t be craving the way Hira Pandit does. I accept that the real world is very different from the reel and I am rooted to the realities of life. I would do something constructive like probably getting into production.

In a way, you’ve been out of the limelight for more than a year now with not a single film hitting the theatres. What have you been doing then?
I didn’t have a release because all my films got delayed. I was not on the front page of every newspaper because I didn’t have anything fresh to offer. But I have had a very productive year. I’ve been living in and out of suitcases and this year I may have more than three releases. All my roles are different and the audience will have the real taste of my potential.

Tanuja Chandra is the first woman director you’ve worked with. What’s the experience like?
We think on the same plane. Since it is women associated to a film where the lead character too is a woman, it makes a difference. This will reflect in the film. Tanuja is very clear on what she wants and will accept no improvisations on her characters. For instance, I asked her if she really wanted Hira Pandit to be so selfish. But she wanted no dilution of her vanity. She visualises the film beforehand and sticks by it. I really appreciate that.

Your character in Filmstar undergoes transformation when she realises the importance of relationships. How far do you relate to it, since it’s said you are recalculating equations, giving your career a backseat?
Hira Pandit’s transformation is her realisation of the fact that there is a family and friends who care for her. But I’ve always recognised the importance of my near and dear ones. Having said that, I don’t know why people think I want a revamp in life. I don’t know how these rumours about my career getting less important emerge when I have more than seven films on hand.

In that case, where does the buzz about your marital plans fall?
I have no intentions of getting married at least for the next five years. I agree that spending time with your family and having kids may be more fulfilling that doing one more film, but that’s not the case with me at this point in time. The only thing on my mind is my career. I want to do different films and today thankfully there is so much to choose from.

What went wrong in your relationship with your boyfriend Leander Paes, after you stood by him during times of his distress? Was it because of his alleged roving eye?
Let us not go into personal details now. It’s just that at the end of the day, things didn’t work out the way I wanted it to be.

What thought has gone behind the kind of roles we’ll be seeing you in? All your films belong to different genres…
It’s the urge to do different things. I think it is boring to be repetitive. If I am doing a rather serious Filmstar, I also have Shashi Ranjan’s film Dobara and comedy films with Govinda – Hum Do Hamara Ek and Mastana and Mahesh Manjrekar’s Tere Pyar Ki Kasam. Then there’s Dhaal with Dino Morea and Raman Kumar’s Sarhad Paar, based on the Indo-Pak theme. That apart, I have signed up for Gumnaam co-starring Dino Morea, Neend, which is a psychological thriller with Sunny Deol, Chess, The Film... With the possibility of some of these releasing back to back, imagine what would have happened if I had stereotypical roles. The audience would have never come back. But now you could probably have a Mahima festival!

You have a few comedy films on hand. How comfortable are you at tickling the funny bone?
Whenever I’ve thought of what role I would want to try out as an actress, comedy has always come to mind. It’s very difficult to make people laugh. Since I am working with Govinda, who is synonymous with comedy, I am sure to have a great time. Mahesh Manjrekar’s Tere Pyar Ki Kasam co-staring Suniel Shetty is also going to be quite hilarious. It’s so much fun and there’s so much more to learn.

You’ve been very upbeat about Raman Kumar’s Sarhad Paar. Don’t you think the audience is over-fed on Indo-Pak films?
This is not just another Pak-bashing film. Though there is an Indo-Pak angle to it, it’s basically a love story based on a Punjabi folktale. Sanjay Dutt is a prisoner of war, and I play his sister, who loves him so much that if she were to make a choice between her brother and lover, she would choose her brother. Tabu and Chandrachud are also a part of the film. The multi-starrer element makes it all the more interesting.

Do you think the improving Indo-Pak relations will affect the prospects of the film?
Not really. The film does not say my country right or wrong, or kill the enemy. It deals with human emotions rather than political ambitions. It is believed that the culture of rakhi began with this fable. It harps on the kind of relationship the brother-sister share, where the brother is dearer than the lover. If one of their lives had to go, she’d rather save her brother. Such culture is not found anywhere else in the world, and least of all in the West.

You seem to have an affinity towards complex relationships. If Sarhad Paar talks about brother-sister bond, Dobara is about complications between husband and wife…
(Laughs). I don’t think I can compare the two. While Sarhad Paar has a cross-border theme, Dobara is about a wife’s fear of what would happen if her husband’s (Jackie Shroff) ex-girlfriend re-enters his life and how her fears come true. Since this has already happened before, it is called Dobara.

You have another challenging role in Zameer, where you play a paralytic dancer. Tell us more…
My character is emotionally very strong. She is a great dancer, but gets paralytic and yet doesn’t lose hope. Further there is a love triangle between Ajay Devgan, Amisha Patel and me. How this girl takes everything in her stride and the great lengths till which she can go for her love is heartening. I don’t think I am so strong in real life.

Your fascination for sports is becoming more evident. You seem to be busy playing Chess with Anupam Kher these days?
The film is about your calculations in life. If I know my co-star will reach the shoot two hours late, I’ll probably make sure I am at least one hour late. You try putting everything in black and white, but that may not always be possible. Your calculations may go wrong and what would you do then? Most of the actors in the film are new and thankfully it is not one of those typical boy-loves-girl type films.

While doing so many different roles, how is it that you are not essaying a prostitute, considering that every second actress thinks the role will help her prove her talent…
That’s the sole reason why I would never like to play a prostitute. I don’t understand why people are so hell bent on portraying a prostitute as if that were the only challenging role available in the industry. I believe talent can come to the fore in any role, be it that of a mother, sister or girlfriend.

You take keen interest in other aspects of filmmaking too. Do you intend to try a hand at direction?
Maybe someday, but not today. I think direction is the most difficult job while making a film. And I am not that equipped as yet. At least for a few years from now, I want to concentrate only on acting and do as many different roles as possible.

By Qamar Zaman