Jealous & Me? Never: Shilpa Tells Taran Adarsh 
By Taran Adarsh, July 14, 2004 - 02:43 IST
Her contemporaries like Manisha Koirala, Raveena Tandon, Tabu and Pooja Bhatt are no longer in the marquee. But Shilpa Shetty continues to sign top-of-the-line projects.
GARV has just released, PHIR MILENGE and SHAADI KARKE PHAS GAYA [both with Salman again] are ready for release, she's shooting round-the-clock for KHAMOSH [60% ready, another 12 days' shooting and it will be complete] and Anubhav Sinha's multi-starrer HUM is in under-production stages - the Shetty girl is as busy as she was in the mid-1990s.
Though GARV primarily revolves around Salman Khan and Shilpa is barely there for three songs and two scenes, she's not bitter about it. “I did the film for two friends - Salman and Puneet [Issar]. If the role was slashed on the editing table for the betterment of the film, why should I complain? Anything for the betterment of the film,” Shilpa informs me.
Shilpa's taken a day off from her hectic schedule of KHAMOSH. Doing rain-soaked sequences have taken a toll on her health [she's sneezing and coughing intermittently], but she continues to radiate the same exuberance that she exuded even during our first meeting at a farmhouse in Delhi, while shooting for her debut film BAAZIGAR.
The conversation steers to her next two releases - PHIR MILENGE and KHAMOSH. How excited is she? “As an actor, I can never be satiated. I am immensely critical of my performances. But I have given my best to PHIR MILENGE. This film is very close to my heart,” she smiles.
Is it true that she has charged a fraction of her remuneration for PHIR MILENGE? “Let me put it this way. There are some films that you do for money and some for creative satisfaction. PHIR MILENGE belongs to the latter category,” she tells me.
She continues in the same breath, “When Revathy came to meet me in Mysore and narrated the storyline of the film, I took it up for two reasons - one, the story excited me immensely and two, since I had watched her previous film MITR, I wanted to work with her some day. When she said that she had budget constraints and that she could offer me an 'x' amount, I didn't want to let go of this opportunity just because price was an issue. Believe me, PHIR MILENGE will give me tremendous respect as an actor,” she states confidently.
Another performance-oriented film that she is proud to be associated with is Deepak Tijori's KHAMOSH. “The role of an escort girl is something I haven't attempted in my career before. We are trying to make it look as realistic as possible,” she states.
Please elaborate. “See, there're no hero or heroine in KHAMOSH. It's a character-driven film, revolving around eight characters that meet in one night and what transpires next. It's great to work on a film that has a bound screenplay ready before you begin shooting. It's also exciting to complete the film at one go, like PHIR MILENGE was completed in a record period of 35 days and KHAMOSH should be completed in 32 days,” she sounds excited.
Does KHAMOSH demand a lot of skin show? After all she's enacting the role of an escort girl in the film. “I am dressed from head to toe in PHIR MILENGE because that's the demand of the character. Similarly, if you're enacting the role of an escort girl, you've got to look tempting. There's a lot of glamour in KHAMOSH, but it's not sleazy or seedy. You won't find anything vulgar in the film,” she clarifies.
While Shilpa is co-starring with Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty and Salman Khan in various films, what prompted her to work with rank newcomers [models Rajiv Singh and Shawar Ali] in KHAMOSH? “Believe me, they're amazing. I was caught unaware when I shot with them. In fact, both Rajiv and Shawar are much better when compared to my initial days as an actor. And why should I have problems working with newcomers? Wasn't I a beginner at a point of time?” she stresses.
Talking of newcomers, does the influx of bare-all, dare-all girls make her insecure? “Not at all,” she smiles, “I've carved a niche for myself over the years. See, it all depends on how much you're willing to expose. I know where to draw a line, but that doesn't mean that I am against those who are willing to exhibit their anatomy. I appreciate Mallika Sherawat's efforts and the kind of work she has done in MURDER. She was too good in the film. But, jealous and me? Never!”
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