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Now courting creativity
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Urmila Matondkar finds yet another challenging role in her forthcoming film to prove her capability as a serious actress
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SIMPLE AND SUBSTANTIAL Urmila Matondkar plays a strong-headed girl in `Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara' PHOTO: ANU PUSHKARNA
Creativity is allowing oneself to make mistakes. And the art is to know which one to keep. The statement made by Scott Adams goes well with the ideology that Urmila Matondkar lives and works with.
She believes creativity is all abut trusting ones' own instincts.
And hence, she ends up choosing creativity over fame, glamour and money when it comes to the selection of roles in her films. Her latest flick, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara, is one more example she cites with pride.
In this film produced by Anupam Kher and directed by 10-time National Award winner Jahnu Baruah which hits the silver screen this week, one will see Urmila as Trisha Choudhry, a caring and strong-headed daughter of a Professor of Hindi played by Anupam Kher who is brought up with the best of values.
She appears without make-up in the film. She chose the role after a tough battle between her head and the heart.
Intense film
"When I was offered the role, I said to myself that I shouldn't do such an intense film because my past few films were quite serious in nature. And I wanted a break away from it for lighter and glamorous roles. But at the same time, in my hearts of heart I knew one doesn't get to work with the likes of Jahnu Baruah every day. So I agreed. Seeing the film people might regard me as one who has limited herself to `a different genre of films' but I don't mind paying this price as this is one of my finest performances."
"I play a very simple girl in the film, who manages to learn the challenges that life throws at her. Her heart is her beauty statement. I am idealistic in it. Seeing my character people will start thinking is it possible to have ideals?" says Urmila .
And for her this film proved to be a means to "grow both as an actor and as a person".
"After over a decade I was brought close to myself. I walked in the middle of the road, among the common people, drove in taxi and what not. I felt so connected... ", she gushes.
As she reels under the memories of the making of Maine... , she cannot help recalling a more humbling experience in Pakistan .
"I am lucky to be one actress who has gone to Pakistan (during the making of Pinjar). Never did I receive such warm reception ever in the world. They didn't take money from me, loaded me with gifts, served me with delicious food, and what not. But it was disturbing to find younger generation there not clear about what our leaders lived and died for. They are a confused lot. And most of them, like our young generation do not read much. So they lack knowledge and perspective. I feel lucky to be born in a family where I was told about our great leaders and made to read a lot. My father is a Gandhian himself. And that's why I quite relate with this film ."
Maine... was an exciting experience but quite unlike the one that she underwent in Varanasi where she shot for Pankaj Parashar's Banaras - A Mystic Love Story. .
Life at risk
She was almost drowned.
"That was a horrifying experience. In a scene, I had to save a dying Dimpleji on the ghats. Suddenly there was a heavy current of water and we both fell in it. I can't swim to save my life and I didn't know that Dimpleji is an ace swimmer . I found myself in dark waters and started flowing with the current. I was almost drowned and got unconscious when a fighter swimmer somehow managed to wrap both in, I don't remember what, and swam us across the shore. Dimpleji later scolded me that why didn't I tell her that I don't know how to swim?"
Not Dimple's fault, given Urmila's survival instinct in the industry everybody thinks she knows how to swim against the tide!
RANA SIDDIQUI
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