Art & Entertainment

Mahi Gill

After <i>Dev D</I> and <i>Gulal</i>, this newbie has secured her standing in the world of serious cinema

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Mahi Gill
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Did you identify with the Paro of Dev D?

Yes. Anurag (Kashyap) wrote the role after meeting me. Mahi is a lot like the Paro of Dev D.

Tell us about your new film Aage se Right.

I play Sonia Bhatt, a TV journalist, opposite Shreyas Talpade. It’s a loud role.

What about the film on Pan Singh Tomar?

It’s a period film. Irfan plays Pan Singh Tomar and I play his wife.

The film is said to have steamy scenes.

Yes, but it’s aesthetically shot. In fact, I’m fully clothed in that one steamy scene. Tigmanshu Dhulia is a wonderful director.

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Steamy scenes with Irfan Khan—the thinking woman’s sex symbol?

No doubt he’s sexy. Even in Dev D, Anurag shot the scenes so well I had no problems.

You’re flooded with offers. How do you separate the wheat from the chaff?

Yes, a lot of offers are pouring in. Most are pretty bad but there are a couple of good roles and I’m in the process of finalising them. You learn to reject the bad.

What’s the difference between Bollywood and the world of Punjabi cinema?

Not much, the crew is the same. I’ve worked with Manmohan Singh in Punjabi films and he’s been the cinematographer for Yash Raj Films. Only the language is different, obviously.

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Do you intend to explore regional cinema?

Yes, I’d like to do south films and would love to do Bengali films as well. And I shall continue doing Punjabi films too.

How difficult was it to make it to Bollywood?

It was difficult. In Chandigarh I had work but once I shifted to Mumbai, I used to go for auditions and never be called. I used to attend a lot of parties hoping I’d be noticed and signed and that’s how Anurag Kashyap noticed me and gave me Dev D.

Does Bollywood have a casting couch?

I’ve auditioned many times, attended parties, but haven’t come across it.

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