'Every actress must work with Arjun Sarja'

Ordinary Act

When most leading ladies like to hide the tag of an ‘item girl’ by calling their item number a ‘special number’, Madhuri Bhattacharya has no issues in being called an item girl.

But to give a hit song like Tinku Jiya in Yamala Pagala Deewana and then do a 365 degree turn by taking on the role of a mother of a special child in her upcoming tri-lingual, Prasad, was a drastic move.

It was only after reading the script of Prasad that Madhuri felt confident enough to take on the role of a mother.

Initially there were hesitations, says the actress. “After Tinku Jiya, I had this glamourous image.

So when I was approached for this role, I didn’t even want to listen to the story worrying that I will be typecast as a mother. After much deliberation, I heard the story and was convinced that I could pull it off,” Madhuri tells Metrolife.

From getting the look right to sharing a good chemistry with her child on screen, Madhuri had her work chalked out for her. Madhuri describes how she used to observe mothers walking by on the streets to get an idea of their body language. “I have never been a mother before so I had zero experience in that department. I used to just watch all the mothers I have known and try to imitate them,” she recollects.

Madhuri is all praises for her ‘Gentleman’ co-star Arjun Sarja. “Every actress must work with Arjun Sarja,” she says while adding, “He is so passionate about cinema. Despite doing so many movies, he still comes with the same excitement like any newcomer. He is such a perfectionist that he used to ensure that not a hair was out of place.”

Ask her why she doesn’t work that often in Kannada cinema and she laughs. “I don’t know why people feel that way. Maybe because I shifted to Mumbai, I don’t get approached that often. But I don’t think I can ever stop working in Kannada films as this is where I began my career,” she says. 

So does this movie mean Madhuri has shed off the image of a glamourous diva? “For me, the script is the real hero. It is easy for me to go ahead and do more songs with skin show but now, I want to take this opportunity and do only those films which interest me,” she signs off.