AnTaRa MitRa : ThE rEaL uStAaD FC-32 - Page 114

How does one begin an interview about Rakhi Sawant?

After all, all the adjectives that have been bestowed upon her – sexy, bold, bindaas – don't seem enough to describe the person that Rakhi really is.

So what's the real Rakhi Sawant like? " Rakhi jo karti hai, apne dum pe karti hai. She is bold and beautiful. She's also practical and honest," she says.

Honesty – yes, one can say it is Rakhi's middle name. After all, haven't we heard her take enough potshots at anybody and everybody, big or small? But that's because Rakhi isn't afraid to call a spade a spade.

"Why should I be scared of saying the truth? Main apne desh mein apni zubaan bolti hoon. Kuch to dum hoga mujhme that people are actually taking me seriously when I say something," she retorts.

And it's this quality of hers that made Zoom zero in on Rakhi as the host of its new spicy Bollywood-based programme called The Rakhi Sawant Shows (starting July 12, Saturdays at 7.30 pm). "My voice is the voice of truth and that's what this show is about. It will give you the real gossip, in true Rakhi style," she says. That's because she will be the same chatpati, bindaas Rakhi we know, but with a new glamourised look. "It's a very polished look. Zoom is turning me from a masses girl to a classes girl," she says.

When one talks about Rakhi, the one thing that comes foremost to mind is Rakhi and Mika's kissa kiss ka. But the item girl denies vehemently that it actually worked wonders for her. "It's not because of Mika that I got all the publicity. It's the step I took against him that got me the publicity," she clarifies. But she also declares that she will probably never be friends with him again. "He was my friend and he cheated me," she says simply. But Rakhi is also sick of people saying that whatever she does is for publicity. "If I sneeze, people say I'm doing it for publicity!" she fumes. "Just because I come from a poor background or don't have a godfather, people think they have the right to say anything about me. I don't like people laughing at me! Shah Rukh kare toh reality, Rakhi kare toh publicity!"

Now that's about work. When is the bindaas babe going to settle down? "Till Abhishek (Awasthi) settles down, I won't marry," she says. But then, being Rakhi, how could she settle for that tame answer? She adds quickly, "Actually, I have no idea if I will marry Abhishek. He's a nice guy and he loves me, but people tend to change when they become something in life. If he shows me attitude, then I'll leave him!"