Q. What is Don Muthuswami all about?
A. This Mithun Chakraborty starrer laughter riot is about a don who is forced to go straight to fulfill his father's last wish.
I play Don's naughty daughter Sanjana, who lies to her father that she is pregnant to avoid getting married to the person of his choice. There are more comic twists to my character as well.
Q. How was working with Mithun?
A. I remember Mithunda right from his Disco Dancer days. It was a great experience working with him in Don Muthuswami. Just being in the same frame with him was enough for me to raise the bar.
Q. You seem to go through a lot of image changes?
A. People seem to have lots pre-conceived notions about me. When I entered the industry, I had the status of glam girl who could not act. But anyways, thanks to my Lux ad and music videos.
Hence, to prove my mettle I took up serious roles like those in Ashoka and Shararat. Then they started saying that I only like serious stuff, so I answered back with the bubbly cute Jo Jo in Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar.
I have experimented with the sexy look in Jigyaasa as well. I want to be known as a versatile actress.
Q. Since you have played different kind of characters, which do you like the best?
A. I like the fun loving naughty girl the most. That is one of main reasons for taking up Don Muthuswami. But, as I take audience appreciation as final bench mark, Ashoka and Haasil would have to be my best works.
Q. Is there any film which you feel you should not have done?
A. See, it's very easy to blame things on hind sight. But I am very positive person who always try to see what I have gained from each project.
Q. Your take on the size 0 thing?
A. It's okay as long as you do it for a role. Each person has a different body structure. Public needs to understand that and not copy us blindly. As far as my opinion is concerned, what matters for me is how you carry off your body. If you look good, it does not matter whether you are size zero, size 2 or a size 20.
Q. Which remake would you want to be in?
A. I would avoid remakes because it's quite challenging to meet the old standards. These masterpieces are made in a different way altogether.
Q. Your take on skin show in cinema?
A. Although I have no problem with bold portrayal on screen, I prefer to underplay. Too much in the face of sexuality is a turn off. You don't need to strip to show oomph, you can do it in a sari as well.
Q. But most girls are ready to go the whole hog anyways.
A. But that has always been the case with Bollywood. Have not our yesteryear heroines worn bikinis or done nude scenes? To a certain extent, we are coyer than before.
Q. You don't appear so much in the media or on the party scenes?
A. I don't want to be like others who do nothing yet appear everywhere. It's not me. I rather let my work speak for itself.
Q. What's next?
A. I have a number of films in the pipeline e.g. Jugar and Kismat Boleh To... The latter is again a comic gangster flick starring Gaurav Kapoor and Parmeet Sethi. - Anil Merani