Diana Hayden's USP: 'I'm good!'

Diana Hayden has always danced to a different piper.

While her peers capitalised on their titles, Miss World 1997 is returning after a six-year gap to try her luck in Bollywood. She explains her reasons to Monika Baldwa. Excerpts:

You were away from the limelight for a long gap. Why did you decide to shift to Bollywood?

I set up base in the UK. I worked on a movie called Othello, which is a contemporary look at William Shakespeare's play. It is now in postproduction and will be released by the year-end.

It took me some time to set up base in the UK. Now that it is done, I am here to spread my wings. Unlike India, one doesn't need to be in the country to get work there. I have an agent who has handled people like John Malkovich and Harvey Keitel. She sends me projects that she thinks may be worth my while.

I have a guest appearance in Khalid Mohamed's Tehzeeb that stars Urmila Matondkar, Shabana Azmi and Diya Mirza. I play a New York publisher who is a very strong character.

How did you bag Tehzeeb?

The producers got in touch with me. I liked the script. The character I play is very strong. Khalid asked me for my tape. He was very excited and jumped all over the place when he saw it. This is just a guest appearance. The next one [film] will say introducing Diana Hayden.

What kind of a debut are you looking at?

I want a strong character to debut in. By strong, I don't mean a gun-toting, venom-spewing actress. I want it to have different shades and layers and be justified. Just like how my small role in Tehzeeb is a very strong one.

How was it like, working with such a talented star cast?

I have a few scenes with Urmila coming up. I think it is splendid. I am not somebody who feels threatened. If I were to feel threatened, it would be very small-minded of me.

I studied at RADA [the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art], UK, and have a postgraduate degree in acting as well. I was nominated for Best Actress at RADA. I have spent three years doing the drill, so feeling threatened really is null and void for me. There is room for everybody here.

In what way did acting school help you?

Once I was in acting school, I realised that if I don't act even for a day, it won't matter.

You know, as women growing in metros, we tend to grow walls around us. Learning to act made me go overboard and let go of my defenses. I had to smash walls that I had taken years to raise and then connect with my roles.

It made me see various dimensions of who I am and connect with my parts easily. At drama school, one was playing different parts -- old women, maids, supporting roles, leading ladies. It made it easier to get out of my own skin.

How did it feel to be nominated as best actress at RADA?

It made every minute worthwhile. Especially because you were being judged by directors outside RADA.

The role I essayed -- the one which won me the award -- was of a woman who is married to a man with five brothers. She has an affair with all of them.

Nine hundred people competed, out of which only 60 were chosen. There were people who have been acting since they were kids. They don't tell us why we are chosen. Winning the award was thrilling.

Did it help to be a beauty queen?

In the European market, being a beauty queen will just get you a second look, nothing else. In India, it makes a world of a difference.

What about crossover films? Are you venturing into those?

One needs to be very selective about crossover films. They are made for a niche audience. I am doing one in the UK next year. You need to do something in the league of a Mira Nair film, if you are doing crossover cinema.

It is very easy to get pigeonholed into a slot as an actress, as a Brit-Asian performer. That is a slot which would be very difficult to get out of. Which is why, while I was being offered a lot of roles in crossover cinema, I waited for Othello to happen to me because it is very international in its appeal.

Tell us more about Othello.

Othello was awesome. To have been taught and to have acted Shakespeare's work at school and to act it out on camera was completely thrilling. I play the part of Amelia, a supporting actor in the film.

It is done very differently from the play. In the play, Amelia is Desdemona's maid. Here they go the same college and are best friends. It is Shakespeare reinterpreted like Romeo And Juliet in a very today fashion.

So do you have to unlearn what you have been taught to act in India?

(Laughs) Not really. You strike a balance. I am soaking it all in.

Things are different. The West is more organised in the way they act. The way they allow people to live. Their lifestyles. What is also different is the amount of time we spend rehearsing a part before we begin filming. That is non-existent here.

Have you been asked to just emote in front of the camera without any preparation?

Luckily, no. Khalid's always given me time to get into the character and emote. I have been fairly prepared. Directors know that if I cannot get into the mood of the character, I will not be able to do it any justice.

How is Bollywood coming along?

In UK, you get an agent. In India, I am looking for a good secretary who will show my pictures and work to other directors. I intend to meet the bigger production houses and directors personally.

Are you worried with the spate of beauty queens in the market?

Oh, no. I am a Taurean. I have a lot of patience. Besides, it is not my looks and age that works for me; it is my talent.

You have to understand, acting is not my bread and butter. I can afford to be choosy because I am doing talk shows and hosting events, among other things.

My contract with L'Oreal [the cosmetics manufacturer] ended this year, which also frees me up to do other endorsements. I am quite patient and willing to bide my time.

Do you regret spending three years learning the art instead of getting into acting immediately after you won the Miss World crown?

I had no intentions of acting then. I had plans to open my own music company. I kept saying no to offers from India and abroad. I then sat down and wondered why I was saying no to something I wasn't even sure about or had tried ever. To cure my own ignorance, I did a short course and then did a full-blown course.

People in India limit themselves. I didn't want to limit myself to the West, which is why I came back to India.

What films have you seen recently? Whom are you looking forward to work with?

I saw Lagaan. I thought it was brilliantly made. I want to work with the likes of Ram Gopal Varma and Shyam Benegal. I have just got to work with them.

That is some confidence. So what is Diana Hayden's USP? Why should a director cast you?

Because I am bloody good!