Two movies from the Bhatt camp —Jannat 2 and Raaz 3 in your debut year! Did being a former Miss India prepare you for the rigours of tinseltown?
The Miss India contest arms you with very different skills, but they are all helpful. Emotionally, I’m still the same person, but yes, one does become mature with time. Earlier, I’d never think twice before saying anything, but now I do, especially things I say publicly. And Bollywood’s cruel, but I am loving it. The fan following and the hysteria you generate in a public space is enough to give you a high. Bipasha has been here for 10 years, Emraan for eight years and I’m just a year old, but however few fans I have, they make me very happy. When you walk on the road and people scream out your name, the high is unparalleled.
The movies you’ve chosen so far bring the risk of being tagged as a mere sex symbol. Are you okay with that?
That’s not the case. I play a cop in Chakravyuh and it’s a very different role. I’m okay with the ‘sexy’ tag as long as people look beyond that and appreciate the effort that has gone into my performance. Also, my directors have given me very different roles, which have helped me grow.
Both your releases have had intimate scenes. What’s your family’s take on these aspects of your career?
I have a very broad-minded family. Acting is an art and we understand that. Also, both the directors have dealt with the scenes very aesthetically. If you work where people can be aroused easily and if the scenes are not shot well, they can become vulgar.
How comfortable were you with a scene where you run naked? What is the cockroach story behind this scene?
At that point in the movie, I start hallucinating because of black magic and start seeing cockroaches everywhere. In this scene, Vikram told me that 800 flying cockroaches would come at me and that they would lock me in a room with the cockroaches and install cameras to record my reactions. It was only much later that he told me it would be done with special effects. I hallucinate that the cockroaches have entered my mouth, my ears, my nose and then my clothes, so I tear off all my clothes and run out naked in front of people. It’s easy to do this when you are with your crew, but to do that in front of a crowd of around 300 people, who have to stare at you, is difficult. But, I am glad that Vikram and Mahesh sir were there to help me with it. But, it was very draining — all the screaming and running around, and I was having glucose every day. I would feel shivers and that’s how I could show the same shivers being experienced by my character.
