SHE’S ACTED opposite all the Khans. She pioneered the genre of item song. She’s delivered as many hits and misses as any of her colleagues. Yet, you never see her bubbling out of a cola ad or gushing in a sequined slit gown at any of the innumerable awards functions, much less receiving a trophy under any of the so many darned categories.
“That’s me. Reserved, private and media-shy,” said Urmila Matondkar, in town to promote her forthcoming film, Banaras. “It’s great to see film stars endorsing products and I am open to it too. But the pushy traits are not my forte. I’ll take just what comes my way,” said the star who was caught ’tweenie-young by Shekhar Kapoor to play an important part in Masoom.
“Movies too just happened. I was coming out with flying colours in all exams and pursuing a major in Psychology,” she said, adding that the acting bug had never left her once. “My pictures were shown by someone to producer N Chandra and he replaced the girl who was to do the part in Narsimha with me. The poor girl had sustained a fracture and all arrangements had been made to shoot the grand song sequence for the climax. So, I stepped in.”
“In my switchover to the so-called art films, my decision was based on my desire to do things I hadn’t already done,” said the actress who has played everything from a super star to a star aspirant and from a frightening psychopath to a haunted, horror-struck housewife. “Shabana Azmi even advised me to reckon my new responsibility even as she showered praises on me for the parts I have played in Pinjar and Maine Gandhi ko Nahin Maara,” said Urmila, adding that there were “just good and bad films, not art films and commercial or any other.”
{{/usCountry}}“In my switchover to the so-called art films, my decision was based on my desire to do things I hadn’t already done,” said the actress who has played everything from a super star to a star aspirant and from a frightening psychopath to a haunted, horror-struck housewife. “Shabana Azmi even advised me to reckon my new responsibility even as she showered praises on me for the parts I have played in Pinjar and Maine Gandhi ko Nahin Maara,” said Urmila, adding that there were “just good and bad films, not art films and commercial or any other.”
{{/usCountry}}“I love to dance and have been amply appreciated for it too. Having had my share of experimenting with the offbeat, I am always hungry for the mainstream,” said the actress who has lined up for release Onirban (of My Brother Nikhil fame)’s Bas Ek Pal and Vikram Bhatt’s Speed, which also stars Aftab and Zayed Khan.
“Going to the back of beyond locations across India is such a humbling experience. I meet the people who have made me what I am,” she signs off.