A name like Maradona Rebello does make you sit up and wonder who he is and what he does. As a second clue, if I were to tell you that his father was the sports officer of State Bank of India, you will be sure that the sports ground is where Maradona earns his living from.

But, contrary to what his name suggests, Maradona Rebello is not a sportsman! He is a model-turned-actor who is making his debut in a film titled Pankh. Bipasha Basu, Lilette Dubey and Sanjeeda are his costars in this movie. Rebello has very little to do with sports, though his father has.

Rebello's first film is already a topic of discussion in the film circles because of the uniqueness of the storyline. Directed by Sudipto Chattopadhyay and produced by Sanjay Gupta, the film deals with a guy named Jerry Dacumha who throughout his childhood played roles of baby girls. His screen acts have such a profound impact on his psyche that he starts wondering whether he is a boy or a girl. He stops attending schools and turns a drug addict. “That is when my character fantasises about Bipasha who is my alter ego in the movie and keeps taunting me about my habits,” says Maradona. 

The final year BMM student at Mumbai’s St Xavier’s College who has modelled for numerous commercials, was selected out of 250 students at the auditions by Sudipto. Maradona says, “I do a lot of theatre and when I was called for an audition, I jumped with joy at the opportunity to make an impact on the big screen. They wanted a boy of 19 to 20 years and I fit the bill easily,” remembers Maradona.

He adds, “I dropped out of my college to pursue my dreams and the experience has been rewarding,” says the actor oozing confidence.

“Sudipto rehearsed with us for two months and he made me watch a lot of sensible cinema. I watched about three to four movies a day right from Korean, French to Bengali movies. Needless to say it was an enriching experience. We have now bonded into a student-teacher relationship.”

But how good is it commercially, for a guy who is just starting his career to play a role like this? Maradona replies, “The script is so unique that I know there will be acceptance of the film and my role. I was bowled over by the script and when I came to know Bipasha would be my co-star, I was overjoyed." The new actor is all praise when it comes to talking about Bipasha. “Before we started shooting, Sudipto arranged for a private meeting with Bipasha in a coffee shop. She made me feel very comfortable right from day one and said, ‘Please treat me as your co-star not a star.’ That really helped me in break the ice and be free on the sets.”

Maradona adds another point about the commercial success of movies, “Nowadays films like Bheja Fry are doing well. Specially with the multiplex going audience. I am sure Pankh will also be a hit.”