Meet A New Madhoo Who Is Determined To Prove Her Detractors Wrong. "I Know I Am Good"
She came into her own as the Roja girl; and expectations soared as Roja became a megahit. But, as luck would have it, Madhoo has still not found a firm footing in Bollywood. There is a lot more to Madhoo, the actress and her talent needs to be tapped. For, whenever she has been called to perform, Madhoo has been noticed. Right now it seems, however, the Roja girl is out to prove in her worth with determination..
Q : After Roja there were a lot of
expectations from you? Do you feel that you have come up to those
expectations?
A : I am very happy with the way I am placed today. People
expected a lot of me immediately after Roja, but it did not
happen. Basically it is male dominated film industry. One does
not get heroine oriented subjects or a film like Roja which
revolved around me. you need bold makers to make a film like
that. If I wait for a film like that to come my way, I probably
would be doing just one film a year, or probably not even that.
Such films are not made often. I do not want to sound as if I am
boasting, but I can act well. I think I am a good actress and I
have often been doing justice to whatever roles I have been
given. People who know me, the public, the people in the industry
feel that I am good and I have been appreciated in whatever I
have done so far.
I am doing all kinds of films and if you ask me on what basis I
select my films, it will not be a fair question. Presently, I am
also doing a film called Yashwant with Nana Patekar. Now that is
a film where one might except some good performance. It is not
that I don't perform well in my other films. But I am sure
Yashwant is a film that will be appreciated.
Q : But isn't it true that when there is
Nana, the others tend to get overshadowed?
A : Nana is a brilliant actor and brilliant person. He
even helps you to perform well. now, my challenge lies in a film
like that which has Nana Patekar. Knowing that he is going to be
critically acclaimed, knowing that he is going to get such so
much of appreciation, I should strive for such performance, so
that people say that she was equally good if not better. Madhoo
has matched him or she has been better in a scene.
I would rather work with the greatest so that I may probably be
better than them. One can never know how good or bad one is
unless there is competition. If you are running alone you will
never know if you are first or last. Only when you run with
people will you know if you are first or last. And even if you
come last, there is nothing to be sad about. You can always work
hard and probably beat them in the next race. But you have to
take the challenge. It is not unhealthy competition.
Q : When You enact a role, do you feel
kind of drained out by the end of the day?
A : I feel very, very alive. it is like tapping your
heart. You are crying but still it drains you emotionally. it
gives you a very different feeling. Basically, you should be able
to switch off and on, but with me, part of it tails over.
The Character you see on screen is different from the Madhoo
after pack up. But somewhere after working day in and day out,
the two people merge and you don't really know when the real you
is there. Like, sometimes, before the camera it is the real you
who is probably doing a particular scene. But sometimes, sitting
between friends you are still acting. If you analyze yourself,
you find that you have lost the difference.
As a person I have grown in confidence and a lot of it could be
attributed to my being in the profession and doing things
independently
Q : Would You call Yourself a director's
actress?
A : I feel I can perform any role that is given to me, be
it serious, comedy, anything, but I am always better when the
director knows what he wants from me. Quite frankly, I am not
doing one or two films at a time. I am doing quite a few films,
so the director should know exactly what intensity he wants from
me. The better the director, the better will be my performance.
Q : Coming to your south Indian films, how
come you have given better performance there?
A : I was introduced by K Balachander, the legend, I
worked with Mani Ratnam, K Raghavendra Rao, i.e. different
directors from different schools. I like to think I am a
director's artist. I won't say that the directors with whom I am
working here are bad. I think the approach to film making is
different in the South. it is not only me. Ask any of my
colleagues. All of us are doing it equally well or not so well.
In the South, I have worked in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu and I
have also worked in one Kannada film.
Q : Do You have any bitterness of grudge
against anyone?
A : Today, I have absolutely no bitterness or grudge
against anyone. I am happier than I have ever been in my life
before. Everything I attribute to experience. Anything going
slightly bad input down to experience. Today, I am a better
person, more understanding I guess. But I am not bitter. Even if
someone has hurt me, I am not going to turn my face away from the
person if I see him. I am going to be nice to him. I have nothing
to complain about. If probably, I was still in the dumps today,
then I would have been bitter. God has been kind to me.