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Figure in focus...

After doing films in ten languages, Nagma shows she has a healthy appetite for films and a lot else

PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN

ALL YOURS Nagma enjoying her meal at Caste 9 in New Delhi

She is the actress in transit. Starting with Hindi films, where she got little success, Nagma crossed the Vindhyas setting the box office on fire with a string of hits. And when she was at the top she moved to Bhojpuri films. Here again she got the cash registers ringing with her very first film Panditji Batai Na Byah Kab Hoi. "Few people know that I have worked in 10 languages and always worked with big banners. In Hindi films I have worked with likes of Rakesh Roshan and Feroze Khan. My first film Baazi was a big hit and most of my songs are remembered till date. Remember `Muqabla Muqabla', `Akhir Tumhe Aana Hai' and `Is Jahan Ki Nahin Hain Tumhari Ankhen'," reminds Nagma settling for a quick bite at Castle 9 in Connaught Place.

Blue mocktail

Admittedly a foodie, Nagma starts with blue lagoon mocktail, for its colour matches with her suit. "I am not fussy about food. Nothing could be better than my mother's preparations particularly bhindi and karela. But wherever I shoot I start liking the food of that place. In Bengal it's sandesh, in Patna it is dal-bhat and in South idli, dosa and rice became my staple diet. Recently, when I was shooting for "Tu Hamar Hau" in Goa, I developed a liking for the sea food."

Nagma knows she is on the heavier side by Bollywood standards. "It happened when I shifted base to the South. I didn't want to switch to rice products but when everybody around you has it you also get hooked. Also most actresses there are little bit on the heavier side, so you don't notice the difference. It was only when I returned to Mumbai that I realised that I have put on so much weight."

Comeback

As the crispy chilly potatoes arrive, Nagma quips, "You will shatter my plans for a Bollywood comeback. I am looking for the right role and the right banner, but as everybody knows here the first requirement is a great figure, acting talent is secondary."

But why did she leave Bollywood in the first place? Nagma whose real name is Nandita alleges, "The early `90s were not easy times for somebody with a Muslim name. The Hindu fundamentalist forces were getting stronger. I thought it's better to shift base rather than get caught in controversy."

Nagma shares one of the reasons she opted for Bhojpuri films is that it is an important move for her political career. "I am a star campaigner for Congress Party. Also as always I got an offer from a big banner like Mohanji Prasad, with whom I have done a number of films." Bhojpuri stars are

known to use their persona for political mileage, but Nagma refuses to divulge her plans for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.

The atmosphere gets crispier with the arrival of fried vegetables called salt `n' pepper. "It reminds me of my day in Delhi when I used to enjoy the chaat and food at Bukhara. Its dal makhni is simply delicious."

ANUJ KUMAR

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