Here are excerpts from an interview of Ameesha Patel, B-Town’s latest actress-turned-producer.
Being sexy… does it make you feel superior to others?
I know I am sexy. But being sexy is all about attitude, not body type. It’s a state of mind. To me, an intelligent girl with a positive attitude and a great smile is sexy… and she could well be wearing a salwar-kameez. In our profession, sometimes being overtly sexy can be a handicap. I work on my body to stay fit, but that does not make me superior to anyone.
Your miss-goody-two-shoes image has withered. The whip is now in your hands.
I love the fact that I am not arriving on someone else’s sets. I have a say on when the camera will roll and what it will shoot. I am proud that I did not succumb to industry pressures or bend my morals.
You have bagged a steamy role in ‘Race 2’. Age doesn’t seem to be catching up.
My friends keep telling me that with every new candle added on my birthday cake, I regress in age. I think it’s the effects of positivity within me. I eat healthy, I don’t smoke and follow a good exercise regime. I have always been my grandmother’s pet child. She passed away at 92 but didn’t look a day over 60.
Looking back, you went underground post ‘Kaho Na Pyaar Hai’ and ‘Gadar’. Do you regret losing out on meaty roles in the years since?
I never really went without action. ‘Kaho Na…’ and ‘Gadar’ have been top grossers in the Hindi film industry. I played Saif Ali Khan’s love interest in ‘Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic’ (remember ‘Lazy Lamhe’), and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ was a hit too. I was approached for ‘Billu’ but the role finally went to Lara Dutta. Priyadarshan felt I looked too young to play a mother to two kids.
Not too long ago, Bipasha Basu and you wore the same dress at a red carpet event. How did you take that?
I had got this dress specially made by my friend and designer Ramona Narang Rodella. The mix up wasn’t her fault. Apparently, some junior assistant gave away the same dress in a different colour for a film with Bipasha, but she decided to wear it on the red carpet. No actress wants to be in a situation like this obviously, and people went a little crazy writing about it, but Bips and I laughed it off.
How do you keep in shape and take care of your long tresses and skin?
I eat healthy, work out and sleep well. I don’t go overboard and do not abuse my body. I use besan on my skin, oil my hair and use raw eggs as a pack. I also like to hit the spa when I can. I go for facials and massages too.
