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'Once you're accepted as a star, nothing else matters'

Mrudula Rajadhyaksha

We are meeting Urmila Matondkar exactly after a year, at the same place -- Mehboob Studios, Bandra -- on the sets of the same Sunny Deol film that was earlier called London and now named Dillagi.

After several retakes of an exhausting emotional scene, director Sunny declares a lunchbreak. Urmila takes us to her make-up room. She is dressed in a pair of royal blue trousers and an orange sleeveless top, her hair open with curls at the ends. Today, her hair is neither golden nor orange, but black with a streak of brown.

As she sits on the sofa, her legs crossed, she looks pretty, yet simple, like any college girl. We begin with her forthcoming film Mast, due for release on September 24. "It is a musical. Yes, there have been other musicals, but in all these films the music was good. In Mast, the story is told through the music,'' says Urmila.

But exactly, how different is it going to be from the other musicals? "You will have to wait and watch the film to know that,'' she adds, laughing.

We ask her about her other film, Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain, opposite Govinda. How was it working with him? "Very nice. This is not my first film with him. We did Kunwara earlier. Kunwara should have been released last year, but it got stuck due to various problems. So Hum Tum Pe... is releasing first. It was nice working with him. We both are hard workers.''

She explains, "Kunwara is a comedy, more in the David Dhawan mould, while the other is a romantic film. But since the chemistry is perfect between us, both the films were easy and fun."

Urmila is now looking forward to three releases (Mast, Hum Tum Pe..., Dillagi) following a long gap after Kaun. What does she think of it? "Stars have no say in the release of a film. There are too many factors involved. Stars who claim that they plan their releases are talking bullshit,'' she retorts.

She also claims she has reached a stage where hits and flops do not matter. "Once you are accepted as a star, as a good artiste, nothing else matters. As for the number game, I do not think it exists, not for me at least. I don't think it exists for many people in the industry, except maybe for a few actors and a few people in the media. For most, it is doing good films, good roles that matter," she says.

According to her, while earlier, stars remained number one for about 10 years, now a new star is born every Friday. "For me, the number game got over after Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi," she declares, ending the topic. Note, how she did not even acknowledge Madhuri Dixit.

How does she decide which is a good role? "Mostly, it works on instincts. During the narration, you get a picture of your role. Next come the director, co-star and the banner,'' she says.

But, after all this, does she get to play any different roles, we ask. Throwing her hands in air, she says, "Frankly, there are only four types of films being made in the last 15 years. I don't think about how many times how many heroines have said 'I love you' to how many heroes on screen and that I am also doing the same. It is how differently I can say the same thing in my own style or how I can bring a new element into it.''

Urmila claims when she started off as a child artiste, she didn't ever think of making it this big. "I never planned my career in the film industry, in acting. Yes, I always liked acting, but never ever I thought it would be my profession. I wanted to study since my family has an academic background. I never went to producers offices asking for work. Someone happened to suggest my name to N Chandra and then to others, and that's how I got my earlier films,'' she explains.

So far, none of her projects have been shelved, except London. But Urmila insists "I was not there in London. At least since the time I started working in it, the film is called Dillagi.'' We remind her she was in London and in fact, we had met her outside the sets of the film. She maintains the film was Dillagi, and not London.

No point arguing with her, so we leave the topic -- and the lovely lady -- at that.