Talk Round' Town
After a romantic film like Haal-E-Dil, I want to do a comedy film
Amita Pathak tells Jyothi Venkatesh that she would not have suited the role which Kareena Kapoor did in Omkara.
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Amita confesses that though her father Kumar Mangat is one of the leading producers in Bollywood, she was not quite sure whether she would be allowed to try her hand at acting since she hails from a Punjabi family. "You would not believe it but the fact is eye brows would be raised even if I wear a short skirt in Punjab but now that I have got into films, everyone is happy. My grand parents like the feeling of their grand daughter being on the screen," smiles Amita.
"I want to give 100% to whatever I do. I think, the role of Sanjana that I have played in Haal-E-Dil was designed only keeping me in mind. Actually I had gone to Punjab for a holiday to my nana's place for two weeks but my dad called me up and asked me to cut down the trip and rush to Mumbai because he wanted me to go through the script of a film to be directed by Anil Devgan", says Amita as we settle down for this interview at her father's office.
Amita says that though she is glad that she has made her debut with a romantic film like Haal-E-Dil, because she feels that it has been a lucky trend in the film industry
to make one's debut with a romantic film, like Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Ajay Devgan in Phool Aur Kaante, Shahid Kapoor in Ishq Vishq and Kareena had done in Refugee, she is now very eager to prove her mettle in comedy by acting in a comedy film.
"I did not get the role on a platter just because I happen to be the producer's daughter. However, I do not deny that there may be thousands of new comers out there who are even better than me but do not get an opportunity like me to get launched. I, too, had to go through the grind of audition for the role, like both Adhyayan and Nakuul, though dad had told Anil that since the character of Sanjana was very similar to me, he felt that I suited the role. It was only after Anil was happy with the audition and also Ajay and Kajol saw the tape of my audition and agreed that I fitted the bill, that I was approved for the role," describes Amita.
It was not tough at all for Amita to play the role of Sanjana, because as she puts it succinctly, she had just to play herself in the film. Amita adds, "I take life as a challenge every day. The ups and downs shown in the character of Sanjana could happen to anyone in life. When I set out to face the camera, I thought how I would react to such situations in real life and acting came naturally to me."
The brief given to her was that Sanjana is a lively girl and loves the people around her. Adds Amita, "Sanjana can make anyone fall in love with her and is emotional, sensitive and also mature at the same time. I could relate to her somewhere and hence I instantly said yes to the role when I was offered the same, so much so that I had even asked the script writer Neeraj whether he had done some research on me before he set out to etch the character of Sanjana for the film."
Amita says that she had company in the form of Adhyayan, son of Shekhar Suman, because like her, he was also a rank newcomer as far as acting was concerned, though Nakuul, she says, had been acting on the stage for quite some time and did not have any stage fright at all, though Haal-E-Dil is his first film as an actor. Amita adds that all the three of them got along like fire on the sets and indulged in a lot of masti and bonhomie; so much so that she could not even imagine falling in love with either of them.
I ask Amita whether she felt that she could have made her debut with the role that Kareena Kapoor did in the star studded film Omkara which her father had produced. Amita replies, as a matter fo fact, with her head firmly placed on her dainty shoulders, displaying maturity on her part. She says, "I think Kareena Kapoor was the best as far as Omkara was concerned. She fitted the bill. I do not think I would have suited the role which Kareena did from any angle whatsoever in Omkara. It would be foolhardy on my part to expect that I can do either the role which Kareena did in Omkara or for that matter the role that Kajol did in Pyar To Hona Hi Tha, though I wish I, too, get opportunities to do roles like that. Now that I have made my debut and proved that I can act."
Amita feels that love is something which just happens. "I do not believe in having crushes besides the fact that crushes may come and go, because a crush gets crushed soon, though I believe a lot in love. Right now, I am of the opinion that matters of the heart can wait because I am pretty serious about my career. When people who have seen the trial of my debut film complimented me, I felt that my three years of dedication has paid off dividends to me," happily goes Amita.
Amita prepared herself for a career in acting by enrolling for Kishore Namit Kapoor's classes. "I learnt acting there for six months though it was a three month course. I also learnt dancing from Shiamak Davar, besides kathak, salsa, and jive and cha cha cha from Habiba Academy. To top it all, I attended a three month workshop with theatre person Om Katare. I have also learnt languages like Urdu, Bengali, Marathi and Gujarathi," adds Amita.
Amita confesses that she was quite plump earlier and used to love eating a lot though now after having taken up acting, she is keener on cooking food for others than eating. "Right from the time I was a tiny tot of just three, I was keen on acting in films. I remember when dad was making the film Khilaaf with Chunky Pandey and Madhuri Dixit, I, too, wanted to act in the film. I have always dreamt of acting in a film like Charlie's Angels," expresses Amita.
Amita admits that Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan and of course Ajaybhaiya are her favorite actors. She further adds, "Ajaybhaiya is very concerned about me and is very protective about me. Though I would have loved it if he had come to bless me at the music launch of my film, I know that at the end of the day, he is always there to support me. It is not just his presence but his support which matters a lot to me. I will always remain indebted to Ajaybhaiya and Kajol for going out of the way and doing a special appearance in a song with me in the film."
As far as actresses are concerned, Amita confesses that Rani Mukerjee and Kajol are her two favorites. As far as directors are concerned, Amita is very keen on working with Vishal Bharadwaj. "I have become his fan after watching his film Omkara and would love to be a part of any of his future projects," concludes Amita.
-Jyothi Venkatesh
Amitabh Bachchan Ajay Devgn Chunky Pandey Hrithik Roshan Kareena Kapoor Anil Devgan Madhuri Dixit Shahid Kapoor Shiamak Davar Vishal Bhardwaj Amita Pathak Kumar M Kumar Mangat Vaada raha... i promise
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