Her words and gestures are filled with such warmth, you could mistake her for your best friend. In both lip service and posing for the shutterbugs, Bollywood’s queen of seduction — actress Mahie Gill —does not disappoint.
So what if she was in the city only a fortnight ago? On Friday, the actress was invited as a guest to the first anniversary celebrations of Piccadilly Square, Sector 34, Chandigarh, where Mahie gave us the liberty to quiz her on just about anything.
Mahie Gill is one of the few celebrities to have no qualms about answering questions about her life. Sanjeev Sharma/HT
What has been keeping her busy, we wonder? “So far, I had only done intense roles. In films such as Dev D or Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster, I was concerned about acting and sidelined how I looked. But, when I did a film like Carry on Jatta [2012 Punjabi film] and danced to songs, everyone realised that I could dance. That is how filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia offered me an item song in upcoming film Bullet Raja,” says Mahie. Having also been seen in a song for the recently released film Zanjeer, we ask her what she’s learnt about item songs. “Bollywood songs are not easy to dance do. When you do item songs, there are numerous things that you are supposed to be particular about — costumes, make-up, dance moves, expressions, word sync et al. Bullet Raja’s song Don’t Touch My Body, which was shot in Lucknow, demanded all of that,” she adds.
{{/usCountry}}What has been keeping her busy, we wonder? “So far, I had only done intense roles. In films such as Dev D or Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster, I was concerned about acting and sidelined how I looked. But, when I did a film like Carry on Jatta [2012 Punjabi film] and danced to songs, everyone realised that I could dance. That is how filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia offered me an item song in upcoming film Bullet Raja,” says Mahie. Having also been seen in a song for the recently released film Zanjeer, we ask her what she’s learnt about item songs. “Bollywood songs are not easy to dance do. When you do item songs, there are numerous things that you are supposed to be particular about — costumes, make-up, dance moves, expressions, word sync et al. Bullet Raja’s song Don’t Touch My Body, which was shot in Lucknow, demanded all of that,” she adds.
{{/usCountry}}For all her fans who want to see Mahie in meatier roles, she reveals her upcoming films.
“I will next be seen in a horror/comedy called Gangs of Ghosts, which is a remake of the Bengali film Bhooter Bhabishyat. In the film, I play an alcoholic actress, a role inspired from yesteryears’ actress Meena Kumari. Then, there is Michael, which also stars veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah. Though I’m not his love interest in it, I play a nurse who is the link between him and his child. Michael has travelled to various film festivals but is yet to be released here. There is also Budha in Traffic Jam, a flick in which I play the owner of an NGO,” says Mahie.
Since her debut Hindi film Dev D was a hit, does Mahie want to reprise her collaboration with director Anurag Kashyap? “I don’t know what’s wrong and why we haven’t spoken to each other for a year and a half. He must be keeping busy, but I’m glad that he’s directing and producing such wonderful films,” she says. Before she leaves, we ask when she is getting married. “I’m dating a guy who is based in Goa. But, I don’t want to disclose his name. There aren’t any marriage plans yet,” she signs off.