"Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi" has come and gone, but its leading lady Chitrangada Singh is a portrait of
confidence.
Everyone is talking about her resemblance to Smita Patil.
Says the Delhi girl: "Actually a lot of people used to tell me I look like Smita. When I was in Class 9, a
documentary maker, who was making a film on Smita, approached me to play her younger version. My
mother and I didn't take it seriously. But it was the first time that the likeness struck us. I can't take such an
awesome compliment seriously. I've a long way to go."
Chitrangada, an army officer's daughter, says: "I knew no one from the film industry. I never thought it would
be easy for me to be in movies. But I've always been a total movie buff - acting, dancing and singing through
school. Then I did a number of ads and music videos. `Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi' just happened. Someone
from Delhi suggested my name to Sudhir Mishra."
She admits the political ideology of Mishra's film was a bit too much for her. "Sudhir briefed me about it. But
he told me not to get into the politics. He wanted me to look at my character Geeta as just a girl who could
belong to any phase or time. 'Don't let anyone intellectualise the character too much for you,' he warned me.
"I internalised her to the best of my abilities. But I must admit I was daunted by the complexity of the
character. I had never done a film before, but Sudhir was very confident. After the film's release, one of the
best compliments I received was from a critic who said I don't act, but react. That's exactly what I tried to do.
There were such fantastic theatre actors in `Hazaaron...' I had to go purely by instinct. I kept it simple."
Chitrangada, who is now settled in Mumbai and looking for greener pastures, admits she isn't being offered
hardcore commercial cinema.
"I guess because I've done the offbeat role well they presume I can't do anything else. Fortunately, I've another
film coming up. It's called `Kal' and is directed by Sudhir Mishra's former assistant Ruchi Narain. I play a
regular 26-year old Mumbai girl in a female-centric plot. And it's completely in Hindi. It isn't an out-and-out
commercial film, but it's a thriller, a murder mystery. Then I'm talking to other people about other
roles..."
She trails off. And you look at her as yet another avant-garde actress unsure of her next move after the first
off-mainstream step into cinema.
"The response to my performance in `Hazaaron Khawaishein...' has been fantastic. Vishal Bhardwaj insists
he'll write a film only for me. That's how much I've inspired him. Ashutosh Gowariker keeps calling me
`amazing'. Ketan Mehta has seen the film repeatedly."
Tell her the film hasn't worked at the box office and Chitrangada protests.
"I think it has worked on some level. I've got calls from youngsters who don't relate to the politics, but love the
love story in the film. It's amazing how differently everyone has interpreted the work. Some friends had to sit in
the third row of a theatre and watch it... no tickets!"
The film's producers, Pritish Nandy Communications, should be happy to hear that, but none of the admiring
filmmakers are coming forward to offer her roles.
"I know. But I'm sure they have me in mind. What I did in `Hazaaron Khawishein Aisi' wasn't easy. If I can
carry off that, I'm confident I can carry off any role. It's fascinating how much variety Bollywood has to offer an
actor. It's like an ongoing party. Everyone is making a film. Some are crossing over, others are going parallel.
It's the best time for an actress to be in Indian movies. I'd love to work with Ashutosh Gowariker, Fahan
Akhtar, Mira Nair... I just need to hold on."
Gowariker calls me amazing: Chitrangada Singh
Friday, May 13, 2005 16:57 IST