5 films that scared me! - Urmila 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, May 13, 2005 - 05:34 IST
Exorcist takes the Number 1 slot.
Fear Factor: That movie almost took the life out of me. The atmosphere was chilling!
Stephan King's short stories were extremely spooky!
Fear Factor: Again, it induced fear through its eerie ambience. I almost froze through it. The people who created have to be geniuses!
Naina is next. It's the most complete horror flick I have done.
Fear Factor: Trust me; the fear will knock you dead
Bhoot It broke every stereotype of horror in Bollywood
Fear Factor: No meow-meow cats, no white saris, no fog. The fear showed in the eyes of the characters!
Madhumati from the B&W era.
Fear Factor: Though it wasn't scary, scary, I quite enjoyed the punarjanam thingie. I thought the music was brilliant!
Scare Fare with Urmila Matondkar
'She's talented but not on top!'
'In Rangeela, yes but she's not hot anymore!'
'Urmila isn't doing well for herself'
All this is clay and crumbles in exactly 2 minutes of meeting her! Ditto happened when we caught up with the gutsiest actor of Bollywood for some natter-chatter on Naina. She might be riding 31 but her gorgeous face puts most Bollywood Barbie dolls to shame. She is proud of her success but not bitter of other's. She's there to pick an award when she wins one as much to cheer for a Rani when she looses it to her…
Urmila is the sexy surprise packet you come across on a bright day. She will talk, yak and mock, all in her adorable Maharashtrian accent. And the Matondkar mulgi has some very chatpata takes on movies-n-media. Now prepare for a scare dip with the oomphmatiz…
Ek Hasina Thi was among the most criminally overlooked films at most film awards of 2004. Do you agree?
I can vouch that I loved playing the role. Most actresses would give an arm for a role like that. As for awards, I have never let that guide my choices and I like to keep it that way. Awards are nice but the reaction to my performance was nicer!
2005, Naina will be the first Urmila starrer to hit theatres this year. Tell us about the film
Oh, I can't stop talking about this one. For starters, I did like to declare in big block letters that it's nothing like Bhoot or Kaun.
We never said that…
You may not think so but media for some strange reason likes to believe that 'all is one'. Kaun was a psychological thriller; Bhoot belongs to the horror genre whereas Naina deals with the supernatural. It's easy to put everything into a single bag and label it as horror but that's not the case.
We were talking about Naina…
My director Shripal Morakhia wanted to create good cinema and that's the reason Naina has shaped up the way it has. In terms of the visual content, technical brilliance or characterization, there have simply been no compromises.
Would this be another songless thriller?
Know what; even I suggested that we create some songs atleast as a promotional device. But my suggestion was completely vetoed. Because the director felt that a gimmick like that would dilute the essence of the film which is high on the fright. Just goes to show how honest Shripalji has been to the script. But the background score has been used in the most powerful manner. You have got to hear it; it makes you run for dear life!
You play the central protagonist, what is the character of Naina like?
Ah, to play Naina was a revelation! She as a young girl lost her eyesight in an accident and now 20 years later, she undergoes a cornea transplant. Her eyesight is now restored but life isn't that easy for the girl. Because from seeing nothing she can now see things that normal people don't! She sees objects, people, images all of which isn't visible to others and here beings her horrific journey from a dark world to a darker one.
So to play Naina was fascinating because on one hand she is this mild, meek, vulnerable girl but shows great strength and courage when she has to deal with something as extraordinary as supernatural. And here's when she begins to realize that the thing that she considers curse might actually be her destiny!
Do you believe in the supernatural?
I don't. I think I am too bull headed to pay heed to the presence of spirits and supernatural elements around me.
So never experienced anything queer?
Never! Like I told you, I am too thick skinned to let myself experience or 'feel' anything supernatural. And like me most of us are so engrossed in the nitty-gritty of everyday life that we simply brush away the thought of spirits and souls saying that, 'Ah, I am just having a bad day'. We almost shut our eye to the 'beyond'. But I guess just like out world, there must be a world of theirs too.
It's always a new Urmila one walks away with every time a person watches your film. So what's Naina looking like?
Since Naina was blind, there were a lot of details that went into her look and costuming. A blind girl will use flat footwear so we couldn't have shown her tottering around in stilettos. Same goes with her look, the girl who is used to 20 years of blindness won't suddenly cake her face with makeup, so it's minimal. As for the costume, we have kept away from things like buttons because as a blind person, they like to keep it as simple as possible. So it's more of intelligent designing rather than fancy wear.
The men already frowning; you aren't going deglam, are you?
(Laughs) Nah, tell the boys not to worry. You can't take 'sexy' away from Urmila. But I would like to remind people that I was the only actress to have done a Rangeela and a Satya, a Pyar Tune Kya Kiya and a Pinjar. So try as hard but I will not get slotted. There is nothing like 'deglam' or 'hot' or 'glam' there are only characters. People take home characters not looks.
Any scene in particular that you thought was particularly challenging?
There is one scene where I supposed to be in water and I can't swim to safe my life. So we created a water tank and shot it at film city but Shripal wasn't happy with the results. So we flew to London to shoot it. It is a scene when I am caught between the two worlds and am trying to transcend. The helplessness, the anguish, the disturbance, it is simply superb! It is easily among the most technically brilliant shots that I have done. Watch out for the climax too, its mind boggling!
Sounds fascinating, when is Naina hitting marquee?
It should be in theatres on the 20th of this month.
And what would you say is the best thing about Naina?
(Smiles) Besides me…the fact that nothing about Naina is 'chalta hain!'
Finally, what do you think of the Ramsay movies?
(Laughs uproariously) Hey, come to think of it, Ramsay movies have more of less defined horror cinema in India. Its all masala nah, now that you have asked me, I think I will soon rent a copy of Chudail No.1!
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“You want to reach for the panic button with Naina!”
