SUSHMITA SEN

THAT FAMILIAR
TOP OF THE UNIVERSE FEELING!

Her sea-facing living room’s a constant reminder of the fact that it’s the place the most beautiful woman in the universe calls home. Pictures of Ms Universe are all over the place. In various guises and poses. Today, the lady in question’s back on top of the world. Albeit in a different way. After 1995, when she was crowned Ms Universe, this has been Sushmita’s most eventful,  fruitful year so far. With Biwi No 1 and Sirf Tum creating waves at the box-office, the Sen’s managed to clamp her critics’ mouth shut with her performances.

Though the second woman syndrome has begun to tire the audience, you seem to have benefited from it, after the success of Biwi No 1 and Sirf Tum...
That’s right. I have experienced real success in my film career only after Biwi No 1 and Sirf Tum. And though I played the second fiddle, my work was highly appreciated. And as far as I care, that’s all that actually matters.

Today, I’d say, films are being offered to me not because I am nice or look pretty at parties. Thanks to Biwi No 1 and Sirf Tum, I am being considered an actress now, and a nice, pretty good one at that!

Does that mean you are comfortable playing the other woman?
Not entirely. But I play a simple Indian girl in D Rama Naidu’s next, the remake of the Tamil hit, Sivayya. There’s one other girl in the cast, and fortunately this time, it’s the other girl who’s playing the second lead.

Frankly, I don’t believe in the second lead syndrome. Even if it exists, I’d say whoever gets the hero is the main heroine of a film. And in this film, I do. I’m looking forward to working in it because Naidu always makes his films with great passion.

I shall also start work on Mahesh Manjrekar’s next, Raju Raja Ram, which has Jackie Shroff, Govinda and Sunil Shetty. This is the movie version of the popular play All The Best. I start the new year with Kundan Shah’s Madhuri Dixit-starrer. And I’m looking forward to working with the intriguing filmmaker!

So the new millennium will have Sushmita Sen in three major films.
You could say so. In fact, I have always had only three releases a year. This has been out of choice, more so because I like to enjoy life and have plenty of time for myself. I don’t like to be stuffed with work. Work is one aspect of life, but not all of life. I know people feel it’s fashionable to say “Work is worship.” Not for me. My life includes a lot of other things like family, friends and other things. I like to have time for everybody.

Moreover, going slow on the career front means giving good results. My first year in the industry saw the release of Dastak, Zor and a Tamil film Rakshagan. This year I’ve had Biwi No 1, Sirf Tum and Hindustan Ki Kasam. Similarly, next year, I have Rama Naidu’s film, Raju Raja Ram and Kundan Shah’s film.

In Biwi No 1 , there was a shade of negative in the girl you played. Yet people still loved you in it.
Actually it wasn’t quite easy for me. When director David Dhawan narrated the subject to me, he told me that since I was playing the other woman, I wouldn’t be getting any sympathy for my character. He said, “I can’t promise you a sati savitri’s role because that is the wife. But I can give you the freedom to play the character the way you want to.” This thrilled me no end. But with it also came the thought that a woman is a woman, whether she is the wife or the other woman in a man’s life. She has her own fears and insecurites.

In Biwi..., she gets involved in a relationship without knowing her man’s married. In real life, too, there are women who get into relationships at times even knowing it. It’s just that they have accepted the relationship out of love. Both the wife and the other woman have their own fears. Yet I didn’t want to walk away with all the sympathy in the film. The idea was to treat the character as someone who tries not to beat the wife but to be the wife. So in the film, I didn’t compete with anybody but made my position equally important to that of the wife.

Listening to you, one gets the feeling that you put in a lot of thought into your role and character.
I try to. But whenever I look back on my work, I feel I could have done better. I think I’m evolving as an actress.

Unlike most others, you seem to take your career quite lightly. Do you think it is wise to do so?
Well, it makes me comfortable to sign a film only after one is released. That way, I know I’m not overworked. Of course, many keep telling me what I’m doing is wrong, that I should be signing films by the dozen because if my films don’t do well, I’d soon be out of work. But I feel if my films don’t do well and if filmmakers stop signing me, then maybe I am not supposed to be here. But I don’t want to go on a signing spree for security’s sake. And make a mess of my career. So I have spanned my films accordingly. And now my work is being appreciated, so what more can I ask?

Of late, you have signed films that have two heroines. What do you really look for when selecting roles?
Actually, everything about the film matters to me. I go by instinct and gut feeling. When I am approached, I have to like the director first. Because only if we vibe well, can we give off our best. Next comes the script because that is one thing that I can visualise for myself, everything else is just a dream, a hoax.

Both you and Aishwarya Rai came into the limelight together in 1995 as Ms Universe and Ms World respectively. Your foray into films also happened at the same time. And now after a few flops, both have emerged successful...
I feel our destinies are sealed together. It is strange but whatever we do seems to be happening within the same vicinity all the time. And today I am glad we’re doing well for ourselves in films too.

Why then did you refuse a film with her?
Oh that’s old hat now. I’m certain that some day, we will work together. I was offered a film with Ash but I refused to do it because I didn’t like the role and not because I didn’t want to work with her. I have always maintained that a film with her at this stage of our careers is a bad idea because people will not watch the film for our performance but with rivalry in mind, to see who will oust the other. Which, I feel, is unfair. I think though we have had hits this year, we have yet to prove ourselves and be accepted as good actresses. At least, that’s what I feel about myself. Of course, I can’t talk for others. Yet I think when the two of us come together, it should be with a very good director who will not play games with our characters and neither of us is confused as to what our roles are. Also we shouldn’t have any problems during the making of the film. Ash and I are not at loggerheads. So please spare the two of us.

Have the few years in the industry been pleasant for you? What have you learnt about the industry in these years?
Well, as far as learning the ways of the industry is concerned, I have realised one has to make the right moves to reach the top. Of course, there are a lot of obstacles on the way but one has to be confident enough to overpower them. As for me, now that I have learnt the nuances, I try and spend all my energies on my films because now I know that there is no other way out but to be successful.

There were times when I used to get disgusted with the ways of the industry but now, I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve realised nothing should be taken to heart here.

Do you recall your first day before the camera?
I can never forget the day. It was very scary though. Since it was my first day on the sets of Dastak, I was trying to put on an act of being extra confident. The first shot was in a morgue. And director Mahesh Bhatt made sure it was a real morgue. I had to collect a body and the guy in the morgue keeps asking for money, which I refuse. So he asks me to come back the next day. Frustrated, I give him my ornaments and break down. The scene required me to portray various shades of emotion, progressing gradually from being calm, angry, hurt, hysterical and finally, breaking down, screaming. The scene was well-etched, but for a newcomer like me, it was difficult. I just couldn’t do it.

It had taken two years of my life to behave like a lady. Ms Universe had taught me that. Then, suddenly, Mahesh Bhatt wanted me to shout and scream. I just couldn’t bring myself to do that.

How did you manage to convince Mahesh Bhatt that you were an actress?
Since it was my first day, there were several people around watching me at work and Mahesh Bhatt yelled, “Look at her, she’s behaving like Ms Universe. She thinks no end of herself and has come here to be an actress. What a bad idea it was for me to sign her. She can’t act for nuts. Blah blah...” The man just wouldn’t stop. I was beginning to get angry and wondering why he was making a scene. Then I decided enough was enough. When I stopped crying and started walking out of the sets, he stopped me. I told him, “I did’t want to work anymore. I am not going to take any nonsense from you.” To this, Mahesh Bhatt replied, “Now, that’s more like the girl I want for the scene. It took so much to instigate you”. Everyone around began to laugh. He asked me to be angry like I was angry with Mahesh Bhatt. And believe me, after that I gave the first shot of my life in one take.

That also taught me a very good lesson: when you’re in front of the camera, you have no other relationships. The only person you should be loving, hating, emoting with, crying or feeling the pain for is the camera. I found a relationship with the camera that day. Since then, I’ve gotten smarter with every outing, and denied people the chance to bully me.

You’re so open and candid. Does your frankness ever come in the way?
You have to pay a price for everything. Since I don’t keep any grudges and am free with everyone, I don’t have to live with any guilt. So people judge me in a certain way whereas people who keep everything within themselves and put up an act or facade are the ones who are the sufferers. I am very happy being who I am and am proud of it.

Recently I developed some allergy on my body and the doctor attributed it to my pet dogs and advised me to get rid of them. What a suggestion! I preferred to live with the allergies than part with my darlings. I took a brief holiday, and went down South to recuperate. What I mean is, how can you give up things that mean a lot to you?

Does a rumour affect you?
Rumours are professional hazards. One has to learn to handle them.

Namita Nivas