Paired perfectly

Unbreakable

Paired for the first time ever, Madhavan and Bipasha Basu share a great chemistry in 'Jodi Breakers'. Srabanti chakrabarty speaks to the actors on what it was like to work together, the 'jodi' breaking profession, and more.

They have never worked together on screen before, but both are extremely fond of each other and have many nice things to say about each other. “Maddy is not just an actor, but a fabulous human being too. He is a great co-star, a great friend to both men and women,” Bipasha quips about her co-star. Madhavan also chips in, “When we started the film, I was a bit nervous. She is truly a superstar in her own right. She is beautiful and charming. But what is most praiseworthy is the fact that she has never made me feel like she is a bigger star than me.”

The moment you see them working together, you start wondering why they were not paired before — so perfect is their jodi. In a way, it is ironic that Bipasha Basu and R Madhavan are debuting as a pair for the first time in a film titled Jodi Breakers.

“Initially, I had said no to Jodi Breakers because of time constraints. But after that, I had a second read of the script. I thought it would be too good a film to say no to,” says the actress. “In fact, after my second reading, I called the director and asked if the role was still available. That’s how I got into Jodi Breakers,” remembers Bips, who looks fighting fit in her new lean avatar.

On the sets

On weighty issues, Madhavan jokes, “The main star cast of Jodi Breakers is fitness freak. Bipasha is fitness and I am the freak! On the sets, if Bipasha, Milind Soman, Dipannita Sharma and Mrinalini Sharma stand on one side, I alone am enough on the other side to balance the frame.”

Bipasha remembers her shared lunches with Madhavan on the sets of Jodi Breakers. “He made me eat quite a lot of cheese. He used to order a lot of cheese and potato dishes.

My main course always took more time to arrive, and with me being always hungry, I used to eat his lunch as well as mine. It won’t be long before we both look the same,” she kids.

Incidentally, it was Bipasha who recommended Madhavan’s name to director Ashwini Choudhury. Madhavan lapped up the opportunity immediately. “After Tanu Weds Manu where I hardly had any dialogues, I was dying to play a character like this,” says the actor, who sports a French beard for this film.

Madhavan is all sugar and honey about Bipasha, “She is the best Bengali actor-friend I have in the industry. She is very hardworking and dedicated towards her profession.

Bipasha looks quite tough from the outside but is a softie in reality. In this industry, girls generally have to maintain a stern exterior so that people don’t exploit them. And if you really get to know Bipasha, you will also agree with me.”

Once the Madhavan-Bipasha on-screen jodi was formed, there was no looking back. Rave reviews started flowing in about their performance after the first look of the film was released. “After the promos of our film were shown to people, I heard for the first time that I am cute. Madhavan told me that people were referring to him as hot.
This was a first for both of us! Almost everyone who saw the promos said that we had a very unusual chemistry in the film. I think it happened largely because both of us think alike,” says the model-turned-actress, known for making temperatures soar wherever she goes. This will be Bipasha’s first romantic comedy. Her look in the film has been much talked about.

“I must admit that the audience has always been kind to me. I consider myself lucky as I am a South Indian who was brought up in the north and thus, language never created a barrier for me,” says Madhavan, when asked to comment on the positive reviews that Jodi Breakers has been receiving from the industry. He even goes on to say that he is not half as talented as his peers down south.

Last year, Bipasha had broken up with her long-time boyfriend and actor John Abraham, and ever since then, her entire energy seems to have been focussed on getting into perfect shape and looking good. She has never looked quite as good and has been glowing the last few months. What is the secret? “I am a long-term relationship kind of person. I have never been single before this. I now have the time that I used to give to my relationship and can focus on my work and passion better.

I had stopped reading nine years ago, but now, I have taken up reading again. I have also started cooking and meeting new people,” says Bipasha, though a tinge of sadness is evident on her face.

Jodi Breakers also has an item song in her name and though she was skeptical about this, the end product is something she likes a lot. “It’s a unique film in many ways — it talks about an unusual concept and an unusual profession. In the film, Madhavan owns an agency which separates couples who are not happy in their relationships.

Lot of couples in the world are unhappy but just don’t know how to separate. I believe if they are not happy in a relationship, it is better to get separated and find a new life, rather than die in a marriage. That is what a jodi breaker does,” she explains, when asked about the strange title of the film.

Should ‘jodi breaker’ be converted into a real-life concept as well? Madhavan is quick to correct, “It’s not that we break jodis for the sake of running a business. We break only those jodis that we believe to be very unhappy in life, or those who want another chance.” Bipasha, on the other hand, makes a case for the jodi-breaking profession: “If there can be agencies for marriage, there should be one for  divorce as well!”

“In real life, I am quite different. Though I am a firm believer in love, I am neither a jodi breaker nor a jodi maker. I don’t advise anyone on anything. I am satisfied dealing with myself and there is too much to deal with. But, Sonali, my character in Jodi Breakers, is a lot like me in that I also believe that two people are supposed to be together if they are in love. If there is no love, life always gives you another chance, so go and take it,” says a smiling Bipasha.

Thankfully, Madhavan does not have too much to deal with on the personal front — all going on well in his happy family. On the professional front too, things have been going good. He has given two hits in the form of 3 Idiots and Tanu Weds Manu. Talk to him about that and he will respond jokingly, “I wish people recognised my talent and increased my remuneration as well,” says the actor, who believes in doing only one film a year.

Enough about jodi breaking, what tips do they have for love? Bipasha reels off the usual — “Be truthful, be honest, and do everything for the one you love.” Madhavan adds, “Try, try, try till you succeed. Fortune favours the brave... go after the girl till she says ‘yes’. And most importantly, if it doesn’t work out, then move on.” Bipasha readily agrees, “If one relationship doesn’t work out, it isn’t the end of the world.”

Clearly, a mantra that works.