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Tell
us about your background and 16 December?
I
have done my schooling in Assam. My dad is a medical practitioner
and my mother is a teacher. She is also an actress. I have a younger
sister, who is with me in Bombay. From Assam I came to Delhi to
study in Indraprasta College. I completed my degree in History.
I was a member of fashion show team from our college. In my final
year, I have won a couple of prizes in inter college fashion show
competition. I have also won free port folio. Then joined fashion
shows after completing my college. A couple of months later, I
participated in the Miss India event in 1998. I was selected as
Miss Photogenic and I stood among the final five. After that event,
my life took a different turn. Synergy skin care signed me up
for three years as their model. Then I shifted to Bombay and active
started doing modeling. I worked for the ads of CBZ, Seagrams
and Kwality Walls ice cream. I also acted in a TV serial titled
'Life Nahi Hai Laddu'.
Then
the movie chance came in my way. I was basically not interested
in joining the film. I told my coordinator not to get those 'Moulin
Rouge' kinds of roles where heroines sing and dances. Its not
that I am against singing and dancing. In fact, I love dancing.
I am a classical singer too. But I want to do some thing different
so people would sit up and say that 'OK, that is the new comer
who dared to do something different'. When my coordinator told
me that this is the subject and you are the only woman in the
entire group of males and there is no gender bias, I gave the
screen test. They tested all over India for that role and apparently
zeroed in on me.
I
am very much impressed with Mr. Mani Shankar. He told me not think
myself as heroine. I am one of the heroes. From the beginning
itself he was very clear about what he wants from me. It's amazing
to work with Danny and Gulshan Grover. They are very senior artists
and they have no attitude. They are so helpful with newcomers.
Of course, Milind and Sushant are my friends. They would be playing
pranks and pulling my leg all the time.
In
16 December trailers, I see a lot of familiarity between Matrix
girl and you in terms of get-up and mannerisms. Is it intentional?
Really?
That's a big compliment. Actually it is Mani's idea. He did not
want me to look like the girl, which you would have seen in Hindi
films before. He followed the characterization of Modesty Blaise
from cartoon strips. When I was a kid, I read those comics. She
is a strong woman and she kicks around the guys. She is not scared
of any other guys. In this film, you would not see any man saving
me from goons. I am fighting out goons by myself. I don't need
anybody's help. But, at the same time Mani did not want my character
to very harsh.
16
December is one of the very few slick films that are made in Hindi
film industry with lots of special effects.
Did
you take any formal training to perform stunt sequences?
I
did not have enough time to under go a full-fledged training.
But Mani wanted me to practice simple things like 'kick-high'
when he took my screen test. My body is also flexible as I learnt
classical dancing. I was trained by a Martial Art trainer in Hyderabad
What
is your future plan?
I
don't plan at all. I don't believe in planning. Nothing in my
life happened by planning. Neither modeling nor films! Right now,
I have one special appearance song in Bollywood version of 'The
Gulliver Travels'. The offers I have been getting are not exactly
what I am interested in. I am not in a hurry. I still have my
modeling assignments.
Do
academics help you in your decision making process?
I think education helps a person to get better insight of things
in life. When you are attending classes, you wont realize that.
You feel like 'Oh God! Just get over with it!!'. Now after doing
my history honors, I am so glad that I completed my graduation.
It did help me in over all personality development.
In
movie field, a woman is always treated as an object of sex. How
do you feel about it?
Such
notion about women is not just limited to Indian Film Industry.
It's prevalent in other arenas too. It is deep rooted into the
mindsets of people. If people around you are like that, how can
it cease to exist in films? Films being ideal for lots of people
in India, I think it's the responsibility of filmmakers to curb
certain things that degrade women.
What
was your reaction after watching the rushes of the film '16 December'?
The
production company has a policy of not having preview shows of
a film prior to release. So I did not see the final copy. The
trailers have impressed me a lot. I am a big Hindi movie buff.
My co-models make fun of me, as other models do not watch too
many Hindi films. They love watching Hollywood films. I was absolutely
thrilled after seeing the pre-edit film.
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