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the-south-asian.com October 2003 |
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October
2003
Exhibitions Metcalfe's album of
Technology
Lifestyle Sushmita Sen Literature
Lehngas - a limited collection Books
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SUSHMITA
by Avinash Kalla
A beauty queen-turned-star is only as big as her last box office hit. And Sushmita Sen should know. Though she has been hitting the headlines ever since she won the Miss Universe title, there is still one ambition she covets ---a big hit which has been eluding her. Now Sush hopes to fulfill that desire with her about-to-be released Samay….
A. Samay is an out-and-out thriller. I play a woman ACP who goes around her job in civvies. The movie is ahead of its time and is comparable to any slick Hollywood film. The script is down to earth and very credible. But the theme is very bold and dramatic. Q. Do you think the audiences will accept the bold theme? A. Definitely yes. It is the first time that anyone has come up with such an interesting subject with an empowered woman in the lead. Today’s audiences have a broader perspective and are more accepting of new and realistic approach to the storyline. Q. What does a realistic approach mean? A. By realistic I would say that there isn’t any thing in the script that stretches credibility. Take, for example, my character. I don’t go around shooting goons at the drop of a hat. I am neither a Charlie’s Angels kind of a person nor are there any breath taking Lara Croft kind of stunts. Samay is very lifelike. Something on the lines of Silence of the Lambs. Q. What attracted you to the role? A. The unpredictability of my character struck to me. It was a chance to do something that I’ve never tried before. The film was written with a male character in mind but later changed into a female lead though other things remained the same. I was the first choice and I said yes immediately. Any star would give anything for a challenging role like this. Q. Don’t you think that it was a risky decision to work with a first time director? A. All that I would say about Robby is that he has done a great job. His planning was superb and he knew exactly what he wanted. If you have the screenplay in your hand while watching the film you will find that it’s the same; if there is a five second pause there on paper then there is a pause on-screen. And this is something very rare in our films. Directors have the habit of keep changing a bit here and a bit there. Q. Are you satisfied by the way your career has shaped up? A. I’ve lived life on my own terms. I’ve always done what has appealed to me and interested me. When I did Dilbar Dilbar everyone was shocked I was doing an item number, but the same people got totally floored by how I did it. For me the character that I play is important. It’s not the length, but the character’s relevance to the subject that is more important. Hits and flops are for the audiences to decide. For me it’s just my role that matters. Q What is your USP as an actress? A. I am not a trained actress. This has its shares of benefits and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is that I am spontaneous because I have learnt everything from real life. I observe people keenly and use those observations in my performances. As far as disadvantages go I feel there are just a few technicalities that I don’t understand still. Q. What according to you is the status of actresses in the industry today? A. Actresses till a few years back were mere props and were used as if they were pretty flower vases. But now the focus has shifted and their status has been elevated. Heroes cannot make it without them. That’s why they are commanding as much respect as men. A lot of scripts are being written with the heroine in mind. Audiences are accepting women in positions of power in films. Q. Powerful roles okay, but do you think women-oriented films like Samay can do well at the box office? A. I’ll put a counter question to you. Tell me which star can guarantee a box office hit? Agreed that women have never been crowd pullers, but with all due respect to leading stars there is none who can pull a film on his shoulders, not even the biggest of names. Q. Are you doing any other interesting projects? A. Yes. I am doing Paisa Vasool with Manisha Koirala, which is a story of two strangers who meet in Mumbai. Then there is It Rained That Night an English adaptation of Aastitva, here I get a chance to play a woman from 22 to 48 years. I am also doing Farah Khan’s Main Hoon Naa walking around in stylish chiffon sarees. So it’s all varied. I try not to accept the same kind of roles.
CAPTION 1] Sushmita in Samay…Right on target. 2] " I’ve lived life on my own terms."
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