| | | | Gargi Patel (left) in The Hotel of Dreams — India with her German co-stars | Gargi Patel who played Mandira's socialite mother in the initial episodes of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and was thereafter, seen in itsy-bitsy roles in films, will now be seen in a German film with an all-foreign cast titled The Hotel of Dreams — India directed by Otto Rezter. Playing Maharani
Getting into the German cast was possible only after several elimination rounds. "After auditioning dozens of Indian and foreign artistes they chose Gargi because they felt she suited the part," says the Indian line-producer Uday Shankar Pani.
What was the experience like? "It was exhilarating, because I was required to wear rich, royal costumes for the Maharani's character. As for the cast, they were all warm and friendly and they enjoyed dressing up in Indian outfits. Although it is a German movie, most of them were playing Indian characters. Shot in Goa, Udaipur and Agra
Initially they seemed to be skeptical about the Indian infrastructure, but as days passed, they were very impressed with the Indian support crew and the hi-tech facilities.
"We shot on locales at Goa, Udaipur and Agra. Fortunately, their crew could converse in English. And I had to deliver my dialogues in English to match the German lip-sync," recalls Patel who was last seen in Taj Mahal as Sonya Jehan's screen-mother. What's ahead?
"I am playing dramatic roles in mainstream movies. In Ravi Chopra's Babul, I am cast as Om Puri's daughter-in-law with Parmeet Sethi playing my husband. Whereas in this English movie 'The Contest' directed by Manish Acharya, I play this glamorous New York-based NRI socialite."
She has also shot for another English film, The Contest, with Shabana Azmi. In the film she plays 'the other woman'. "Shabana Azmi's husband (Pradeep Patkar) gets enamoured by me, leading to an extra-marital affair," she reveals. |
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