IT WAS LUCKY 

How did Saat Rang Ke Sapne happen?
It just happened. I happened to come down to Mumbai for a day or two, and I got a call from ABCL. Jayaji wanted to speak to me. She told me that she wanted me for this film, and that if I accepted, I would have to go to Madras to start shooting the very next day! Just knowing that it was an ABCL film, opposite Arvind Swamy, and to be directed by Priyadarshan, was enough for me. I didn’t ask for any more details. I was so happy, I couldn’t believe it! Later I learned that Jayaji had been looking around for a heroine for quite some time. Tabu was supposed to do the role originally but she had date problems. Priyanji told me that he had screened about 50 girls for the role! Then it so happened that Jayaji saw a song of mine in a film I was doing opposite Sanjay Kapoor, directed by Shivendra Singh. I think that film has now been shelved. Anyway, she asked Amitji to see the song as well, and then phoned Priyanji and told him she had finally found the heroine they were looking for.

How did you feel when you arrived in Madras, considering that you didn’t know anything about your role or the story of the film?
I was really scared. I hadn’t bothered to ask about my role because I was just so happy to be doing an ABCL film! When Priyanji saw me, he told me that I had such a fresh face, he didn’t want me to use any make-up for the film. I was quite upset about that. I wondered how I would look on screen without any make-up. So on the first day of shooting I went to the sets wearing a tiny bit of make-up. But Priyanji noticed it at once. He called me and told me to go wash my face. As I was about to go, he said, “Wait. Ask the make-up man to bring some soap and water here and wash your face in front of me!” He wanted to be sure I didn’t put on any more make-up! Despite my nervousness and apprehensions, the first take for my first scene was okayed at once. Priyanji was very happy with my performance.

What about you? Are you happy with your performance?
Well, I’m not exactly happy with the length of my role. When I finally saw the completed film, I was worried. I thought there’d be more of me! I didn’t think it was going to be this way. I knew there were two heroines, but so many films like Virasat have lengthy roles for both heroines. So I was very confused when I discovered I has such little footage. Everyone had been praising me so much, and at the end of it I found my role was quite short. Amitji called me the day after the trial and praised my performance. When I confessed I was worried about the length of the role, he told me, “You have a very strong personality and you do leave a mark”. Even Jayaji was very reassuring, saying, “If you have real talent, it can show in a single scene”. But I still wish I had more scope to display my talent. However, I have full faith in Jayaji.

What is your relationship with Jaya Bachchan?
She’s very motherly. She tells me from her heart that I’m a good actress and that I am sure to get good work. Sometimes I get very depressed. Then I call her up and talk to her and immediately I feel so good. I’m fine for 2-3 weeks after that! She gives me a lot of moral support. I was very upset that I wasn't in the promos of Saat Rang Ke Sapne, so I spoke to Jayaji about it. She told me that since I was the surprise package of the film, they would start using me in the promos only about two weeks before the release of the film. I don’t know anything about how this business works, so I’ll just have to wait and see.

You give the impression that you are still
a little bewildered about the ways of the industry.
I was too young, only 13, when I signed my first film. Even now I don’t have a secretary. I don’t go out much, meet people in their offices and so on. In fact, I know only about five or six people in the industry — Dev sahab and his family, and now the people at ABCL. I’m told that I should be more open, but I feel scared. I don’t know how to speak to strangers. And people lie to you a lot. I’ve heard that they call you to meet them at their offices even if they have already decided who their heroine is going to be. I feel a little apprehensive of such things. Sometimes people call me up with offers for films and I don’t even know who they are. I cross-check with other people and call back only if I am satisfied that they are serious.

What was it like working with veterans
like Arvind Swamy and Juhi Chawla?
It was really fun, we spent a lot of time kidding around and playing games, and Arvind kept insisting I was cheating when I wasn’t! Juhi would laughingly call me Meena Kumari because of the way I did my emotional scenes. They were very surprised that just before an emotional scene I would be laughing and joking, but as soon as the camera rolled I was able to dive into my character at once.

Which other films have you signed?
I’m doing a a special appearance in a film directed by Priyanji, starring Akshaye Khanna and a new girl. I appear in a song with Akshaye. I did it because I can never say no to Priyanji, he can extract a great performance from me. Also, I wanted to work with Akshaye. I’ve also signed a film with Satish Kaushik, starring Anil Kapoor and Kajol. Kajol has a very simple image in the film, and they wanted someone who could provide a glamourous contrast. So they chose me.

You’ve started your career with two of the most high profile
banners in the industry — Navketan and ABCL.
Don’t you feel you should have been doing better by now?
Yes. People tell me that the best thing I did was to go from Navketan to ABCL. But still, I feel I’ve waited too long for my career to take off. There were a lot of offers before Saat Rang Ke Sapne, but I was waiting for the right banner. I was very patient but things haven’t happened the way I thought they would. There were so many actors and actresses in Gangster, my second film, that I guess I just got lost among all of them. But my song was aired a lot for in promos.

How did you meet Dev Anand and land your first role?
It was pure chance. My family and I had gone to a party on one of our visits to Mumbai from Germany. The hosts knew some people in the industry, and my family wondered whether we could meet Dev Anand and Dharmendra, since we all loved their movies. They phoned Dev sahab and I spoke to him on the phone. I had just seen Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai, and I was thrilled to talk to him. He invited us over, telling me he’d give me lots of chocolates! When we went to meet him, he really liked me, and asked me how old I was. I was only 13, and I even had a missing milk tooth at the time. But I told him I was 16 because he said he was looking for a 16-year old heroine. I’m sure he knew I was fibbing, because he looked at me and asked me, “So how does it feel to be 16?” I replied, “Very sweet!” He laughed a lot at my answer, and called me for a photo session and a screen test, and then signed me on for three films. I’ve done two so far, Pyar Ka Tarana and Gangster. One still remains to be done.

What happened between Gangster and Saat Rang Ke Sapne?
After Gangster I went back to school to Germany. And as soon as I came back I got this offer from ABCL. If I hadn’t had the ABCL offer I might have gone back to Germany. In which case I would probably have taken up modelling there, since I had been getting several offers. Everything to do with my career has happened by chance. Nothing was planned. Though I was always proud of my Indian origins, I never dreamed that I would ever live in India. And now I don’t want to go back!

Finally, is Mink your real name?
Yes! Mink is a kind of priceless fur, very soft and luxurious. When my mother was pregnant she was studying wild animal skins. She later started an export business of skins and furs. She was so fascinated with mink that she decided to call me Mink!