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Frank and Forthright
Sushmita Sen, in conversation with Jyothi Venkatesh, confesses that she is as greedy as any other to do roles of substance
Sushmita Sen made her debut with Dastak after winning the Miss Universe crown five years ago. Unlike some of the other beauty queens who also entered the industry, Sushmita comes across as a relatively warm and affectionate person. Excerpts from an interview:
Aankhen is about to be released. Tell us about it.
Sushmita Sen (SS): I was thrilled to work with Amitabh Bachchan who I have always admired. Besides Amitji, my other co-stars in Aankhen are Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Arjun Rampal. The film is directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and has been adapted from his popular Gujarati play Andhalo Pato, which he had directed a decade ago. It is a thriller, which revolves around a bank robbery and three blind thieves. I play a teacher who is forced to use her skills to teach a bunch of thieves against her will.
From Dastak to Aankhen, it's been a long way...
SS: I was extremely raw when I made my debut with Mahesh Bhatt's Dastak. Only now I have begun to understand the technical aspects of the medium and am in the process of learning and mastering the techniques of acting.
Is it true that you turned down Shankar's offer to play the leading lady opposite Kamal Haasan in a Tamil-Hindi bilingual?
SS: Yes. It was true that Shankar, who directed Nayak The Real Hero, offered to cast me opposite Kamal Haasan in his forthcoming film Robot. I however could not accept for the simple reason that I do not know Tamil at all. Shankar then approached Preity Zinta to play the same role. I agreed to do just one song in his Tamil film Mudhalvan only because I felt bad that I was not doing his film. In any case when you do a song you really do not have to bother about lip sync.
Don't you feel out of place in the industry since you are brutally frank and emotional, not cool and calculating?
SS: On the contrary I am of the opinion that being frank and emotional is proving to be one of my biggest advantages. You see when you get used to sucking up to people who matter, you end up losing the art of cinema. To me being an actress does not mean getting the best of dress designers and showing off my costumes in every other scene. There's more to acting than showing your skin or costumes.
Is it true that you are very choosy about your films?
SS: Unless the role I am offered contributes to the growth of the film, I do not take it up. I also see who the director is, what the script is, who the producer or the banner which is making the film is and then decide. In my case, as an actress, I'm as greedy as any other to do roles of substance.
Among actresses there's constant competition for rankings...
SS: Frankly I had never ever dreamt that I would become an actress one day. I entered the industry after I won the Miss Universe title. Today I enjoy the art more than the fame and adulation, which I had even earlier. According to me cinema is about mesmerising the audience within a short span of time. If I can do that, I will be more than happy. The ranking race does not appeal to me at all. I came here to be an actress, not No 1 or No 2 and be a part of the rat race.
Yet you seem to have been reduced to doing just item songs in films?
SS: Yes, In most of the films I am remembered only for my item numbers like Mere Mehboob Mere in Fiza, or Dilbar Dilbar in Sirf Tum. However, I have no regrets for doing those dance numbers, which the public really liked. I treated them like music videos and did what I like doing - letting my hair down, freaking out and dancing away to glory.
Do you enjoy being saddled with a glamorous image?
SS: In this industry people try to saddle you with a fixed image because they have pre-conceived notions, but let me tell you once an actress is able to deliver by overriding her glamorous image, they will accept her and then the sky alone will be the limit. In Biwi No 1, though I was presented glamorously, I succeeded in my attempt to make the viewer laugh. In Sirf Tum though once again I was attired in glamorous costumes, I made people cry. What else can an actress aspire for?
What kind of roles are you keen on doing?
SS: When you set out do a film as an actress, it is more important to know whether you suit the role or not. One thing I knew when I entered the industry was that I'd never worry myself thinking about my career, because very rarely you get a role with which you can break the existing norms. I am perennially on the look out for a path-breaking role like that.
Finally tell me something about little Rini
SS: All that I can say about my little Rini who I adopted two years ago, is that she is God's gift to me.
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