00:00I admit that in Phool aur Kaante, I had such a good time that I got a break and my film was a hit.
00:06But it wasn't so good that I became a star.
00:08After watching Roja, people thought that I can also act.
00:11After Phool aur Kaante, it is true that everyone knows that I didn't flourish.
00:16But I was not sitting at home waiting for work.
00:18I kept working every day.
00:20Roja is not just a Mani Ratnam film.
00:22It was of course conceived by him.
00:24It is not that he didn't show me acting.
00:26I feel that I have done it.
00:31Madhu, you are from a film family.
00:33Can we say that acting has been in your blood?
00:36I don't know if acting is in my blood or not.
00:39But since childhood, I had a desire to become an actress.
00:44But when I was 17-18 years old, this desire came out.
00:50When I got the confidence that maybe I can do it,
00:54till then I was not even sure if I can tell anyone or not.
00:57When people used to ask that what do you want to become when you grow up,
01:00I never used to say that I want to become an actress.
01:02I was like, I don't know what will happen.
01:05And when you told about your interest in acting at home,
01:08what was the reaction of your family?
01:11No, I didn't say that I want to become an actress.
01:17Because I didn't have the confidence that I can become an actress.
01:21I always had this doubt that do I have that talent,
01:24do I have the looks or do I have all the requirements to become an actress.
01:29These doubts were always there and I could never tell anyone.
01:32And especially I couldn't tell my father and Hema ji.
01:35It so happened that my father is a producer.
01:38He had made a film Awargi at that time.
01:42And sometimes I used to go to college and sometimes I used to go to the set.
01:46And one day when I went there,
01:48one of his friends saw me and he was going to start a film at that time.
01:52So he said that I will introduce your daughter.
01:55And my father came in front of me and asked, are you interested?
01:59So I never had to express that I want to become an actress.
02:03Because my father asked me, are you interested?
02:06That's all.
02:08Phool Aur Kaate was your launching film.
02:11How much benefit or loss did this cause in your opinion?
02:14The benefit was that I got a break.
02:17Because before Phool Aur Kaate I did a lot of struggling.
02:20Sorry.
02:21I also did Roshan Dhaneja acting school.
02:24And after that after the film started, it stopped.
02:28And many people had sent me my portfolio, my photographs.
02:32And I didn't get any offer or any assignment.
02:36So Phool Aur Kaate was my first.
02:38So I got a break.
02:39The biggest benefit is that I got a chance to come on screen for the first time.
02:43And the film was a hit.
02:45And it was a very big hit.
02:47If you still talk about which is the hit film,
02:50then you will say Sholay, so and so, so and so, Phool Aur Kaate, so and so.
02:53And I am the heroine of Phool Aur Kaate.
02:56So that much credit I did have.
02:58Yes, this is a different thing that I could not become an individual star.
03:03But that's okay.
03:05The film was a hit and I got a break.
03:07This is the benefit for me.
03:09After Phool Aur Kaate, you were seen in South's very good film Roja.
03:14How did you feel working with Mani Ratnam?
03:17Tell us something about that film.
03:19After Phool Aur Kaate, it is true that I did not get very good Hindi films.
03:24But I was very busy.
03:26I was working here and in South.
03:28And I always got good films in South.
03:30You can say this is my luck.
03:33A good producer, a good director gave me a break.
03:36I got a good film.
03:37And I got a name as an actress.
03:39As everything, I got a status in South.
03:42And during this time, Roja was also made.
03:44And Roja was released in Tamil.
03:46And a lot of Hindi people, industry people saw the film.
03:49And that's when the pickup started.
03:51It has just been released in Hindi.
03:53But I already had Roja released in Tamil two years ago.
03:56And I have never been dormant.
04:00After Phool Aur Kaate, it is true that I did not flourish.
04:05But I was not sitting at home waiting for work.
04:08I was working every day.
04:10In South, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi.
04:15So I was always working.
04:17The result of my work is that my films are being released.
04:20Like Alaan and Pehchaan were released.
04:23And this year, I expect to release 3-4 films.
04:27After Roja, your career took a different turn.
04:30So have you got some different types of roles?
04:33Yes.
04:35After watching Roja, people thought that I can also act.
04:39And...
04:43Actually, I don't want to say that I am an actress, I can act.
04:46That's why people noticed me.
04:48And I got popularity.
04:50Because I am a very strong believer of destiny, fate and time.
04:57I believe in Phool Aur Kaate.
04:59My time was so good that I got a break and my film was a hit.
05:03But it was not so good that I became a star.
05:05But I am getting it.
05:07So I say, I am not doing anything better.
05:09I have not changed my face.
05:12I have not changed since that day and today.
05:15I can say that I did this, so I am getting this.
05:19I will say that evolution is happening.
05:23My time is good, so I am getting.
05:26Of course, I deserve it.
05:28Because I work sincerely.
05:30I work with full dedication.
05:32I always want to do my best.
05:35Still, I will not take the credit that whatever I am getting today.
05:40This is because of me.
05:42I did it, I worked hard, that's why I got it.
05:44I don't think so, I believe in God.
05:46How much of a director's actress are you?
05:49I am a director's actress completely.
05:52I definitely contribute.
05:57I definitely show that I can do this, I can do that.
06:02But I don't strongly say that I want to do this.
06:05Because I think that we, the artists, especially the new artists, are not so involved.
06:12We shift one in the morning, we shift one in the evening.
06:15After we get the scene, we know that this is the scene.
06:18But the director brings the graph of the entire film.
06:21He would have thought about a graph.
06:27So whatever he wants, he should give.
06:29I think as an actress.
06:31Because we are not fully involved, he is.
06:33So I can do it, I can do this, I can do that.
06:36The director will tell what he wants.
06:38So I think I am a director's artist completely.
06:41After this, you got a lot of recognition from Paichaan films.
06:45But if you compare Paichaan and Roja, there were different kinds of roles.
06:49Then which kind of roles are you comfortable with?
06:52I don't want to think that I can do this well.
06:55Or I am comfortable in this and I am not comfortable in this.
06:58Because I want to do all kinds of roles.
07:01I don't want to categorize myself that I am good in that.
07:04And I am trying to do everything.
07:06And at this stage of my career, I don't want to say that I can do this and I can't do that.
07:10Because I haven't experimented with myself completely yet.
07:14And if you have seen Ailan, I have done a very light role in that.
07:20And in Paichaan, it's different. And in Roja, it's different.
07:23And I get a lot of roles in South Indian films with variations.
07:28And the role I am doing in Hindi now, I am doing a lot of different roles.
07:34So I don't know which one I am comfortable with and which one I am not.
07:38As an actress, what will you say? What are your plus or minus points?
07:43My plus point is that I am never satisfied with what I am doing.
07:50After giving a shot, I will ask everyone who comes in front of me if it was okay.
07:57I am never satisfied that I gave a good shot and go and sit.
08:01This is a plus and my minus point is also this.
08:04Because in this, a little confidence is lost.
08:08Because you feel confident that I can do this.
08:11That gives a different attitude.
08:13But when you feel that I did this right, there is no improvement after that.
08:18So my plus and minus point is the same.
08:22Dancing is a very big criteria for an actress.
08:25Did you learn dancing from childhood or did you learn it to come in the film?
08:29No, I have learned it from childhood.
08:31Because as you know, in our South Indian families,
08:34dance, music, veena, instruments are very important.
08:38Even at the time of marriage, the groom's family asks the bride,
08:41does the bride know how to dance? Does she know how to play veena?
08:44So this is the requirement of our family to learn dance.
08:47So I have been learning dance since childhood.
08:50But the bad thing is that I have never been able to learn it completely.
08:55Because I am very accident prone.
08:57Whenever I felt like I was going to do Arrangetram,
09:00I used to get a fracture or something.
09:03So I couldn't perfect it.
09:06But I am learning rhythm and beat even today.
09:10I am not saying that I am a very good dancer because I have learned it from childhood.
09:13Even today, I do all kinds of dance.
09:16Like I did a type of dance in the morning, now I am doing classical.
09:19I am not perfect.
09:21But I am well versed with it.
09:23And I learn.
09:25I don't feel ashamed to learn.
09:27I don't feel that I don't know this.
09:29And hundreds of people are watching.
09:32So I do what I know.
09:34I am ready to do 10 rehearsals and 20 rehearsals.
09:37Madhu, how do you feel about working with Emma?
09:41She is directing and you are acting.
09:44First of all, I don't want to be misunderstood.
09:48But as I told you before, I will not take the credit of my success or failure.
09:54I blame it on God and time.
09:57But I will definitely say that I am very proud of myself.
10:00Because as you asked, I have a filmy background.
10:03My father is a producer.
10:05Emma is a housewife.
10:07If she tells any director or producer to take her,
10:11I am sure they will take me at least once.
10:14But I am very proud of myself because I didn't have to do this.
10:18I also struggled like ordinary people do.
10:21And today when I am working with her,
10:24I am working as an individual.
10:26I am on my own.
10:28I have an identity.
10:30Maybe very small before her or before anybody.
10:33But I am working on my own.
10:35Madhu is working with Emma Malini.
10:37It's not like I am getting a break or I am being given an obligation.
10:44It's not like that.
10:45That I am proud of.
10:46But I am very proud to work with her.
10:48I am very happy to work with her.
10:49Because she is one director who knows what she is doing.
10:54And I don't know how the end result will be.
10:58Whether it will be a hit or not.
11:00That is besides the point.
11:02But a good film is definitely being made.
11:04And it is fun to work with such a person.
11:07And Emma ji being from the house,
11:09it feels...
11:11Her feeling is something else.
11:13I am feeling very good.
11:14It feels like I am working with the people of the house.
11:17Lunch also comes from the house.
11:19Sometimes from my house, sometimes from their house.
11:21It doesn't feel like I am working.
11:23In the shift from 2 to 10, even if it's 11 or 12, I do it.
11:27In another place, it's 10 o'clock.
11:29It starts at 10 o'clock in the night.
11:31But with her...
11:33I feel that my film is being made.
11:36And I should contribute in every way.
11:40Going back to Roja, what did you learn from Mani Ratnam as an actress?
11:44I learned a lot.
11:46The art of being natural.
11:49I can tell you a small incident.
11:53There was a scene in Roja.
11:55When I was heating something in the kitchen.
11:58Something in the kitchen.
11:59So I was sweating a lot in the middle of the shot.
12:02So I just wiped my face with my blouse.
12:04Instead of asking for a blanket.
12:06Because the makeup man was standing very far away.
12:08And he told me, do that in the shot.
12:11Have you seen anyone doing this in the shot?
12:15Like this.
12:16Or like this.
12:17Because you're acting.
12:18You're thinking you're wiping your sweat.
12:20But when you're natural, you'll wipe it with your shirt.
12:22And I did that between two takes.
12:24And he said, do that in the take.
12:27You see, these are very small, small things.
12:30And apart from that, he makes you very comfortable.
12:33Mani Ratnam is a very big director.
12:36And all of his films have been a hit.
12:38Spielberg of India.
12:40But he never forced me to do this.
12:44Or that.
12:45He used to give me this scene.
12:47He used to explain the scene.
12:48In front, behind, whatever it is.
12:50And he used to say, do it.
12:52And I used to do what I felt like doing.
12:55And there was lighting on that.
12:58It wasn't like he used to light up and say, do this.
13:00And then take this light, take that light.
13:02This didn't happen either.
13:03I used to do it and show that I will go from here to there.
13:06And then there was lighting on it.
13:08I was very comfortable.
13:09And whatever he wants, a little more, a little less.
13:13That was there.
13:14But he gave me a full, like as an actress.
13:16That is why I feel Roja is not just a Mani Ratnam film.
13:20It was, of course, conceived by him.
13:22But I feel that from my side too, I have done.
13:26It is not that he didn't show me by acting.
13:28To see like this, to see here, to see there.
13:31I feel that I have done that.
13:33And that's why I feel good about myself after that film.
13:37For more information, visit www.FEMA.gov
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