Celeb Chat

RAMBHA
Coming Up: More Excursions Up North

The glam sensation is the only South Indian actress with any standing in Hindi filmdom, today.
What’s more, she’s even considered a lucky mascot by Hindi
filmmakers, especially since most of her 10-odd films to date have been hits. And among her forthcoming attractions are the Govinda laughathon, Beti No 1. Rambha in conversation...

She's had ten-odd releases in Hindi films, so far, Jallad, Judwaa, Gharwali Baharwali, Krodh and Bandhan among them. And there are more in the pipeline, including Beti No 1, opposite, who else, but Govinda. "So far, I’ve accepted just about every Hindi offer that’s come my way. But now, I guess it’s time I started looking for quality exposure. When you’re ten films old, you can afford the luxury," she smiles.

In the South, she’s still the rage, mostly for her glamour. For more than nine years, she’s coolly waded off the onslaught from Mumbai girls and, even returned the favour with more inroads into Mumbai filmdom. Now, she has her sights set on a change of image, playing the coy, traditional girl in forthcoming films like Chussodam Randi and Tamarabharani, instead of the glam puss act she’s been stuck with so far.

She’s decked in all her bridal finery for a marriage sequence in Chussodam Randi, when we tracked her down to the Kamma Sangha Kalyana Mantap, recently. She took time off from the shoots to talk to SCREEN:

After being hailed as a lucky mascot in Hindi films, has the poor showing of Krodh come as a setback?
Krodh hasn’t fared half as badly as it’s made out to be. It’s done quite well in the North and other centres, barring the South, to the best of my knowledge. It definitely was no hit like Hilter, but it did fetch tidy profits for the buyers.

As for being a lucky mascot, I’ve never thought on those lines. So far, I’ve been doing every Hindi film that’s come my way, without any set goals. By God’s grace, all the offers I’ve got thus far, have been good ones. I’ve been happy doing the occasional Hindi movie, and that’s how I’d like to remain. As and when meaty offers come my way, I shall take them up without fuss.

You’re the only South Indian actress who’s found her feet in Hindi films, today. Don’t you think it’s time you became choosy where roles are concerned?
It’s Mithun Chakraborty who launched me with Jallad after seeing my performance in Yamadharmaraju. Several offers followed, Judwaa and Bandhan with Salman Khan and David Dhavan’s Gharwali Baharwali among them. I’ve also made some lasting friendships, with actresses like Raveena Tandon, Karisma Kapoor and Kajol.

But you’re right. I ought to be choosy about the roles I take on. I think I also need a PR man in Mumbai, to look after my publicity.

But what made you walk out of Khudrat?
I’d accepted the film after being impressed with the script. But later, they informed me that they’d made some changes in the script, after only two days of shooting. I personally met producer Raj and Romu Sippy and explained to them I didn’t want to be a part of the project under the altered circumstances. They understood my problem, and we parted ways cordially, without hard feelings on either side. Another film I missed out on, owing to date hassles, was Biwi No 1, where I was to play Tabu’s role.

By accepting the de-glamourised role in Chussodam Randi, are you consciously planning on a change of image?
As I said earlier, I’ve always accepted all roles coming my way, so far, since I’ve never planned anything in life. Director Raja Vanamreddy was the co-director for Hitler, and I guess he liked what he saw of me in the film, for he approached me for this role. I was game for it from the start, for I realised it would offer me great scope to act. I sport girl-next-door looks in it, but it’s certainly not as if I’m about to discard my glamdoll image. Whatever I am today is thanks to it. And I shan’t give it up for anything in the world.

Your attempt in Kodandaramudu, to portray a character with negative shades failed. Do you regret doing the film now?
The film may have failed to click at the b-o, but there’s no gainsaying the fact that it is one of my best performances to date. I was initially scared to take up that role, I admit. But one doesn’t refuse an offer from a director like SV Krishna Reddy that easily! Even if you’re reluctant, he’s bound to sell you the offer. He assured me I’d do well, and even extracted a fairly good performance out of me. For a long time, it was a dream to work with him, to leave an imprint on his brand of cinema, and here was a God-sent opportunity. I’ve always been an admirer of his style of filmmaking and despite this debacle, I shall continue to be one.

Coming to Tamil films, your recent release Suthanthiram was a disaster. Are you happy with the way your career’s been progressing in Tamil?
You’been mis-informed, Suthanthiram wasn’t a disaster, it was a commission-earner. I know because I keep track of all this.
As for my forthcoming Tamil movie, there’s Tamarabharani, where I play a de-glamourised role yet again, opposite Murali. I shan’t be surprised if they have changed the title now, for a change has been on the cards for a while. I have done two schedules for it and play and old-fashioned girl who wears traditional Tamilian outfits. I play the typical glam doll opposite Sarath Kumar in Kesavan, and I have recently signed another offer.

At one point of time I used to average 14 films a year. Now, I’m slimming down on the offers, to do select roles only. I am comfortably placed down South, with a wider range of roles than I can ever dream of playing in Hindi. That’s one reason why I haven’t really been aggressively looking for roles in Hindi films so far.

How do feel of about working with ace director K Raghavendra Rao after a gap?
It’s always a treat to be working with him. He’s again cast me as a glam doll. The story revolves around Jagapathi, Soundarya and myself. It’s a youthful entertainer set against a college backdrop and has been shaping up well. It’s great to be doing a film for a prestigious banner like Usha Kiron Movies.

You’ve done more than 60 films so far, but are yet to win an award. Any regrets on that score?
Well, you forget that I bagged the best actress award of the Kerala government for my performance on debut in Malayalam, Sargam. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the awards. No one from my family advised me to attend the awards ceremony, and I had to give the opportunity a miss. Later, when director Hariharan advised me to attend the 100 days’ function, I readily obliged. I wish there’s some way I can collect the state award from the government now.

BVS Prakash