Sushmita:

Sushmita: 'Randeep is the youngest boyfriend I have ever had!'

The role of prostitutes in Bollywood has been done to death. So when Kalpana Lajmi offered you the role of a prostitute what was the particular aspect that stimulated you into accepting the role in Chingari?

I accepted the film mainly because of my dedication to my goddess Kali. She plays an important role in the film. I would not like to sound clichd by saying that this film is 'hat ke' and 'I am doing this for the first time'. I have done my job as an actor. I believe that even in my worst films, I do my job sincerely. As an actor I don't have any control over the film. I don't know whether Chingari is going to be a film up the audiences' alley for it's a period film, unlike most of today's films. It has a rura backdrop, but it isn't today's rural backdrop, which would be far more progressive. The film deals with the times when a religious priest was the be-all and end-all of society. The villagers themselves were completely illiterate.

Are you happy with the final outcome of Chingari?

I think it's a long film; personally I would have loved it if the film had been much shorter. But then I am not the director and it's her decision to decide the length of the film. And Kalpana Lajmi (she pauses)... god bless her, she is an artiste's director; she knows exactly what an artiste would want. I have never seen a director so passionate about her work. She would actually roll a four-and-a-half minute reel without cutting it, just to get the right expression and not interrupt the actor. As an artist you are so charged because you know that you can't cheat on the shot. There are no cut shots to overcome the flaws of the actors. She is a director who depends on an actor rather than using technology to make up for their shortcomings.

Is it true that you were offended when a tabloid published a kissing scene between Anuj Shawney and you from the film, and Anuj gave a statement about it?

I don't hold any grudge against Kalpana; she went out of her way and apologised to me on their behalf. I was really upset with the producer and Anuj Shawney, because the idea behind doing this film was to give the whole concept of prostitution respectability and not project it as a sleazy movie. It was just a working still. I don't have a problem with people talking about me smooching, provided it's relevant to the film. This film is about real people. Anuj should have been a little more responsible. However, he is relatively new in this industry and I really hope that he never makes such a mistake again, because such acts make me uncomfortable working with new people.

You have completed your first international project Karma Confessions And Holi with Naomi Campbell. But you never talk or propagate your Hollywood sojourn like your contemporaries?

I am an actor and not a propagandist. I don't talk much about my films because you are bound to have a different outlook for such kind of cinema and I don't want to block it with my preconceived notions about the film. I would not like to call it a complete Hollywood film, it is, rather, my first Indo-US venture. The title itself is Indian. The film is a lovely collage of actors from all parts of the globe.

How was your interaction with Naomi Campbell during the shooting of the film?

I think Naomi is quite misunderstood by the media and by people around her; she was a little distant when we started shooting, but I found her very childlike and very honest. She doesn't believe that she is the best actor in town. On the contrary, it seems as if she is constantly learning and training herself. Being Naomi Campbell I think she could have taken it easy, but her dedication and hard work was really stimulating.

Would you be interested in any international project that doesn't feature India or have an Indian woman as a subject?

Honestly speaking, I have got such offers, but there has been nothing interesting. I don't have a problem in playing French, Bangladeshi, South American characters. But when you cast me as an Indian, I want to make sure that my country has been portrayed well and, more importantly, correctly. I can't allow anyone to talk about India just for the sake of showing monkeys, elephants, cows and mosquitoes. Representing my country means a lot to me. And if anyone tries to make a mockery of India, my blood boils!

Vikram Bhatt has completed his latest film Ankahee which he claims is based on your relationship with him. Do you think he should have asked you before going ahead with such a statement on print?

Frankly speaking I don't have any take on this issue. If I speak further about this issue, it will simply get importance...

You are playing the role of a rock star in Tanuja Chandra's film Rockin. How did you manage to do something which is not at all 'Sushmita'?

That's me. I love experimenting with roles and Tanuja's film Rockin (very unapologetically spelt without 'g') is very Indian. I play a rock star who plays electric guitar, and it's pretty cool. I am not a good singer. If I had a good voice, I would have become a rock star.

For the first time you have worked with Randeep Hooda in Karma Confessions And Holi. Could you share your on and off screen chemistry with Randeep?

Well, off the screen, chemistry was never a problem. (Laughs) I think Randeep is the youngest boyfriend I have ever had; he is nine months younger than me. (Smiles) I am in that stage in life where I love him and at the same time treat him like a baby. I have very strong maternal feelings for Randeep, which, according to my mother, is very dangerous (laughs loudly). On-screen I saw that he is an extremely hardworking actor. He would do his homework for his scenes, which would be changed most of the time by the director, and he'd be disappointed. He likes to learn before he gets to the sets. My experience taught me that you should do your homework with the character and not with the dialogues or scenes. By the time you reach the sets, the unlearning process starts because the lines change and scenes are reworked. So if you learn too much, it becomes difficult to unlearn it. But knowing all that, Randeep would still do all that homework and my heart would break when I saw him disappointed.

You mean to say that Randeep is a method actor?

Definitely, he has a method to his madness... (Laughs)

You did a Bengali film with Mahesh Manjrekar which was never released. Even Rituparno Ghosh approached you for Draupadi. Are you still interested in regional cinema?

I wanted to act in Draupadi but I couldn't do so due to date problems. Rituparno has approached me for a physiological thriller which I might do. As far as doing regional cinema is concerned, I will only do Bengali movies because I owe it to my motherland.