“I concentrate on one thing at a time,” says Gracy Singh
Now you see her, now you don’t. But the Lagaan girl keeps coming back.
About 18 years ago, in 1997, Delhi girl Gracy Singh debuted on TV as the vivacious Dinky in Zee TV’s Amanat, and stole viewers’ hearts. Four years later, she hit the big screen with a big film: Lagaan, opposite a bigger star, Aamir Khan. Everyone swore she had arrived.
But after Lagaan, Gracy Singh vanished. She popped up in 2004, opposite Sanjay Dutt in Rajkumar Hirani’s Munnabhai MMBS. Then she vanished again.
Comeback queen
Today, Singh is back with her new TV show, a mythological drama called Santoshi Maa on &TV. Starring alongside TV actresses Ratan Rajput and Juhi Parmar, Singh is thrilled with her new role: that of a goddess.
“I was looking for something I could relate to – something big. And mythology is something everyone in the family connects with, especially women,” says Singh. “I have always felt a special connection with God and this serial puts a lot of emphasis on family values and faith in oneself – qualities I too cherish.”
You need a strong mindset to play a mythological character, and Singh feels she is prepared for it. “For several years, I have been associated with the Brahma Kumaris,” she explains. “This is similar to my role. Also, I’m a trained classical dancer running my own dance troupe since 2006.”
A whole other star
In spite of picking up awards for Best Female Debut and Most Promising Newcomer for Lagaan, Singh believes acting was never her destiny.
“I was excited by the response Lagaan got,” she says. “At the same time, I was in no hurry to get into a signing spree.” Her Telugu film Santosham, came two years after and was a decent success. But her Hindi films opposite Arbaaz Khan, Parvin Dabas and Tusshar Kapoor went almost unnoticed.
That didn’t bother her though. “I have given my best to every film I have worked in. In fact, regional cinema in languages like Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Malyalam has been a great learning experience.”
Singh’s true calling, she says, is classical dance. “Since 2008, I have performed at various national and international festivals,” she says. “I concentrate on one thing at a time and that’s why I have been missing from the screen.”
Her return to showbiz is a double whammy. Soon, you’ll see Gracy Singh on the big screen too, in Miraq Mirza’s Gandhi The Hero. Put out the ‘welcome’ mat.
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From HT Brunch, November 29
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