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'I don't act in front of the camera; I make love to it'

Kolkata native Mishty, who makes her acting debut with Subhash Ghai's Kaanchi soon, talks about her Bollywood journey so far.

After launching the careers of Meenakshi Sheshadri, Jackie Shroff, Madhuri Dixit and Mahima Choudhary, Subhash Ghai is introducing another actress with his forthcoming film Kaanchi.

Mishty has acted in a Bengali film with Prosenjit Chatterjee, but Kaanchi is her first Hindi film.

She talks to Rediff.com's Patcy N about how she landed the part.

Tell us about yourself.

I am from Gadiya in Kolkata.

My real name is Indrani Chakraborty, but Mishti is the name by which all my friends and family call me, even Subhash Ghai liked my name.

My mother Beena Chakraborty is a homemaker and my father is in the construction business. My parents have separated. I live with my mother.

I graduated in English Literature from Kolkata University.

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It was a difficult decision to leave Kolkata and come to Mumbai'

How did your acting career start?

When I was in school, I was not interested in acting, but I was attracted to the glamour world.

Acting started when I was in college. I took tuitions for kids when I was in class 11 and 12 and while teaching, I met director Sanghamitra Chaudhuri.

He offered me a docu-feature film in Bengali based on Rabindranath Tagore called Bidehir Khonje Rabindranath by Sanghamitra Chaudhuri.

After that, I did modelling for a while. One of the ads was spotted by a production house who gave me my next commercial Bengali film, Porichoi where I played the daughter of Prosenjit Chatterjee.

The film has not yet released.

How did you get Subhash Ghai’s Kaanchi?

Everything is interconnected -- the associate director of Porichoi, Arindam Ray, is chief assistant on Subhash Ghai’s film.

When Mr Ghai was searching for Kaanchi, Arindam Ray showed him my pictures and the clippings of my Bengali film. That’s how I was called here.

It was a difficult decision to leave Kolkata and come here, to a different city, as this was a long term project. Once you get a big break in Bollywood, you want to sustain it.

I am a very spontaneous person. When I got a call from Mukta Arts, I immediately made my decision.

I didn’t even think where I was going to stay in Mumbai. I flew down here within two days. My mother was okay with my decision.

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'My house and everything else is provided by Mukta Arts'

Was it easy to adjust to living in Mumbai?

Mumbai was not very difficult for me as Subhashji and his wife Rehana ma'am and our crew members are like family to me.

They protected me, took care of me so well that I never felt I was away from home.

After a while, my mother also shifted with me.

My house and everything else is provided by Mukta Arts. But I am more of a solitary person. I like to be on my own. I am a bit of a workaholic.

When you got a call from Mukta Arts, what did they say?

I got a call saying Subhashji likes your picture and you will have to come down to meet him and give auditions.

I had different look tests with different expressions -- sad, happy, angry -- plus a dialogue test.

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'Mukta Arts is just worried about me choosing a good script'

You were told you were selected immediately after the audition?

Even after all the tests, I was not told I was selected. He (Subhash Ghai) told me he liked me and he was considering me for Kaanchi.

After that he bought me a pair of big, ugly looking spectacles and told me, ‘You will have to wear them all the time and you don’t have to look like a heroine.’

I would sit in his office and he would introduce me as his assistant director. I thought he is actually thinking of me as his assistant director.

You have a three-film contract with Mukta Arts?

Yes, but I can sign films outside in between with the consent of Mukta Arts.

You could say Mukta Arts is handling me for now and they will consider any good scripts. They are just worried about me choosing a good script.

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'I'm in love with the camera'

Where you nervous about being directed by such a legendary director?

There was no scope for me to be nervous because Subhashji is so doting and so friendly with youngsters.

Our whole crew is around the age group of 20 to 30 and he is extremely frank with all the youngsters, so where is the question of being nervous?

Tell us about your first day of shooting.

On the first day of shooting I remember he chose a very difficult scene for me.

I had no dialogues, only expression, and that too only with my eyes. It was the most crucial scene of the film.

Obviously he wasn't sure I'd be able to do it. Thankfully, he was happy with the shot. I was overwhelmed.

In fact, I am in love with the camera so the camera doesn't bother me. For me, it is not like acting in front of the camera, it is like making love to the camera.

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'Subhashji can make anyone act, even an inert object'

How was it working with Subhash Ghai?

Subhashji has amazing ways of working with his actors; he coveys what he wants from his actors very nicely. A lot of times he enacts the part; he is a very powerful actor.

I think I have been supremely blessed to get an opportunity to work with him. I am a newcomer. I have no background in Bollywood.

He can make anyone act, even an inert object. Working with him was very easy for me.

He has an amazing sense of humour and every day he is up to some mischief or other.

Karthik is a senior actor in the sense that he is two films old. How was it working with him?

Karthik and I first met when there was a screen test to test our compatibility. He was already chosen as the lead actor.

The first time we started acting with each other we realised that there is some sort of chemistry between us. Later, we became good friends.

It was easy for us to gel with each other on the big screen. Karthik is a hardworking actor and Subhashji says he has all the qualities of a good actor.

I would bully him all the time. He is very humble and simple. It is very easy to dominate him.

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'I have very few friends'

What was the most memorable incident during the shoot?

While shooting a song sequence in Nainital, Uttaranchal, we were frozen!

It was a rain song and we had to get drenched, it was already raining and plus there was water from the rain machine which was freezing cold.

I was so cold and frozen that I couldn’t move. We were near the cliff and the crew was far from us, they couldn’t understand that we were not able to move nor could we convey it to them.

For Karthik it was a life threatening incident as he was lying down on the cliff. The mud below the stone was washed out and he was just about to fall when the shot got over and we called out but nobody could hear.

Which was the toughest scene that you had to shoot?

I was never a cyclist, but I had to learn to cycle and that too in the mountains. It is a very difficult job even for professionals.

Once while shooting I fell down from the cycle and I still have scars on my knees.

How good is your Hindi?

I don’t think I have a problem with the accent.

What do you do in your spare time?

I play with my dog. I have very few friends and even they are not here. I like painting, and I love literature but I don’t do that regularly.