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Thursday 28 April 2011

I wanted to be an air-hostess but I was rejected: Chitrangada Singh



What made you come back to movies?
I started my career with Sudhir Mishra's 2003 film ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’ and then I took a four years break. Movies is a demanding profession, it keeps you away from your family. After my first movie, I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to do this. I didn’t know if I was cut out for this kind of a profession. But, I think I have a certain amount of talent which I want to utilize.

So Mumbai is your home now?
Yes, this is my workplace. This is where I live. My work keeps me reasonable to go back to my family. I keep shuttling between Mumbai and Delhi, where my family stays.

Tell us about your role in ‘Yeh Saali Zindagi’.
My character is Preeti, she is a typical middle-class girl. She is a guitar player, she is both weak and strong. In the film, my character gets kidnapped but she is the wrong girl to be kidnapped. So I had to look scared and tensed in almost all scenes, but I was conscious of not having the same set of expression throughout.

How did you plan for the role?
Well, this is my fourth movie and as an actress I understand the process of filmmaking a lot better. I didn’t go to any acting school and I have no technique. It’s just a feeling with which you approach a character. I don’t want to be repetitive or be like my earlier movies. I read the script again and again to prepare for this role in ‘Yeh Saali Zindagi’ where I imagine to be a strong girl.

What would you do if you figure out that you are actually kidnapped in real life?
(laughs) I don’t know. May be I will charm him and persuade my kidnapper to take me out on a date and run away!

What do you have to say about your life, does the movie title ‘Yeh Saali Zindagi’ suit your real life too?
It’s surprising, I wanted to be an air-hostess but I was rejected. Though I wasn’t planning to be an actress, I once missed my flight to Korea to be with my husband for his golf tournament and instead went for an audition. I was shortlisted and I auditioned again. And that’s how I got my first film – Sudhir Mishra’s ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’. Life throws up surprises all the time. 

What do you have to say about the reports of chaos in your relationship with your husband?
There’s no such problem. My husband and is a professional golfer and very modern in thinking. I strike a balance between my personal and professional like. Yes, my earlier movies had some steamy scenes and there was lot of things written about but we talked it over and my husband understands my profession. The only thing he doesn’t understand is how Bollywood is so unsystematic!

So there were never any issues of insecurities?
No, we are not insecure if the other person is mingling with opposite sex. It’s weird but I’m the one who looks at girls more. If I say ‘Oh that girl has lovely legs, he would say who, where’. My husband happens to be my brother’s friend and I have known him for a very long time. There’s a sure comfort level, the kind childhood friends have.

You have a three year old son, is it difficult to be a mother and an actress at the same time?
I would say I’m just like any other working mother. Like any other professional, I leave my family behind to deliver at work. My son Zorabar is three-and-a-half-years old. He travels along with me sometimes. I have a good support system at home to take care of him. The key to strike a balance is to manage schedules and take out time for your family.

You entered the industry very late. Don’t you think you should have tried your hand at acting previously so that you could have enjoyed family time now?
No, I don’t think so. At the age of 20-22 I wasn’t what I am today. It is from my experience of life and my sensibilities today that I portray a role the way I can. My approach to my work is different today. When I took a break, people took it as lack of commitment to work but I can’t blame them. It was me who was at fault. Today I am here to change that perception.

You have an uncanny resemblance to late actress Smita Patil. Are you flattered by comparisons?
There are many people who say I look like her but I don’t know if you can be Smita Patil. It is unfair when people think I should do her kind of roles or when people say that’s all I can do. I am here to try different things and create my own identity. I would like to add that Smita Patil was much ahead of her time and a marvelous actress.

Have you seen any of Smita Patil’s movies? Which one is your favourite?
Yes, I have seen her work and she was a class apart. My favourites are ‘Earth’ and ‘Mirch Masala’.
You have also maintained that actor Shah Rukh Khan is your favourite and you want to do a film with him. You have already done a TV ad with him, how was the experience?
Yes, Shah Rukh is my first crush. I adore him since his ‘Fauji’ days. It was an awesome experience to work with him. Though we shot for only two days, I will always cherish that experience. I was very anxious on sets, my hands were cold and shivering but he is such a charming, humble and modest person. He would put a chair next to him for me to sit. He is not lost in his stardom, he is very aware of the people present around him.

Tell us about your forthcoming movies.
In March, I will start shooting for ‘Desi Boyz’ where I am paired opposite Akshay Kumar. And I am also doing ‘Paaki’ with Vivek Oberoi that’s a Mani Ratnam film directed by his assistant.

Which actress do you admire in Bollywood?
I think Kareena is doing great work. She can easily do a ‘Golmaal’ after ‘Omkara’ and ‘Chameli’. If I can swing like her from one kind of film to another, I will feel I have arrived. I’m just trying to do different films and try my luck.

You are termed very sexy. What do you think is your sex appeal?
Well yeah, this is what I have heard from people. Some say my eyes are sexy, some say it’s hidden somewhere. Some say I have an air of mystery around me. I feel the kind of person you are depends on how you think.

What kind of movies do you like to watch?
I like love-stories. Give me an ‘Umraojaan’ any day.

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