Tulip Joshi Interview

Nothing can dampen the spirits of the waiflike Tulip Joshi it seems. She was unfortunately bedridden owing to slip disc but the MATRUBHOOMI girl is gung ho about her forthcoming films. Little did the aspiring sports person in Tulip know that destiny was busy charting other plans for her.

Over to the revitalized actress...

You have a very unconventional name?
Yes. I love my name since its very unique. I am very happy with it and I'll never change it. I had to change it (Sanjana) for my debut film MERE YAAR KI SHAADI HAI but I was not comfortable with it. I guess Tulip works better for me.

How did MERE YAAR KI SHAADI HAI happen?
I always wanted to become a sports personality. I've been a national level athlete but unfortunately I couldn't pursue sports as a career. Then I got into modeling and one fine day I happened to go to Aditya Chopra's wedding. The Chopras spotted me and asked me for a screen test and I went ahead with it. It was just so amazing working with them. I guess you never know what you end up doing in life.

You're also very passionate about writing?
Yes. I started writing when I was struck with slip disc. I was really not well and the pain was draining me physically and mentally. That's when I began writing, like its rightly said- when in pain, your best comes out! I was busy introspecting and discovering myself. I might take up script writing or direction at a latter stage but right now I just want to focus on acting.

You've done a romantic comedy- DIL MAANGE MORE, an intense role in MATRUBHOOMI, what next?
I'd love to do various kinds of roles. I'd love to play a princess and an out an out action film also. Commercial cinema is also very important though I won't restrict myself to a particular category. Something should interest me, may be the script, the banner or the director. It's very hard to get everything in place but one thing has to appeal to me. Besides a relaxed atmosphere really helps. For me it's very important to enjoy my work and like the people I'm working with. I have SHUNYA and HOSTEL lined up.

Something about SHUNYA?
I was very excited and nervous in the beginning. My co-stars are Kay Kay Menon, Satish Kaushik and Naseeruddin Shah. They all are such fine actors so I was obviously anxious. But when I came on the sets everything seemed perfect and I was relaxed then. Kay Kay is a wonderful guy and I learnt a lot from him. We used to discuss the scenes and he used to give me acting tips. As for Naseer, I just have one scene with him. He too is a great performer. All I can reveal is that I'm playing an actress in the film. My producer is a goof friend and he just said that I have to do the film. He will kill me if I divulge any further details.

What about HOSTEL?
HOSTEL is a male dominated subject but I have a pivotal role to play. It's a commercial film with ragging as the premise. I play a key role since I convince the hero and it's about how my presence impacts the entire scenario in the film. Besides it has some great music too. What attracted me to the film was the powerful script.

What is your take on ragging?
It's disgusting! As long as it's harmless and done in a humourous way it's fine. Something has to be done about it since some people don't know where to draw the line. There are better things to do in life. They should indulge in other constructive and productive activities instead of wasting time like this.

One actor you look up to?
The list is endless. There are so many talented people in here so it's hard to choose one. I think Saif Ali Khan is a brilliant actor. He can carry off a different look in every film. If you look at OMKARA and DIL CHAHTA HAI, he is so versatile. Even Aamir Khan is a great actor. As far as Hollywood is concerned, I admire Madonna. She beautifully expresses herself through her songs. She looks so different every time, so one wonders if she's a blonde or a brunette. I also find Catherine Zeta Jones very elegant and graceful. She is so sophisticated and womanly.