Hot and sexy siren Celina Jaitley wants to go beyond her trade-mark comedy and try out New-Age cinema. Shedding her dumb-blond image, Celina is going for a major image makeover in Nari Hira’s Accident at Hill Road, which should release around September.
What is Accident all about?
Accident at Hill Road is based on a true life incident in the United States that happened years ago. The screenplay was well researched by studying the police files, it’s a dark film that deals with an accident and its consequence for the main character’s involved. I would not want to compare Accident with my other dark film, Red; which was entirely different. Accident is “New Age†cinema, which is extremely real.
Tell us about the character?
I play a Punjabi nurse called Sonia. My co-stars are Farooque Sheikh and Abhimanyu Singh. We all know how talented the former veteran actor is; and the latter has proved himself recently in Gulal. All the characters in this film are grey, nobody is black or white. People might say that such things can only happen in films, but our story is a shining example of truth being stranger than fiction.
We wish to target audiences who would want to be entertained; sans over-the-top drama. The film has been shot on the lines of Hollywood, by the very talented director Mahesh Nair who has used Digi-cam which is hardly ever used in India.
Are you styled differently?
Yes, you would see me in a completely different avatar. My character will be so dominant that you can’t catch glimpses of Celina in it! I have put orange contact lenses on my natural green eyes. Hakim Alim has specially worked on my appearance and has done a really good job.
Why did you choose this role?
Of late, I have done loads of comedy (Paying Guest, Apna Sapna Money Money) and I wanted to try something different and new. Accident at Hill Road gives me the space to perform as an actor and not just look like an on-screen Barbie doll. Having said that, let me add I am pretty glammed-up in Accident as well, but it is more realistic and not overboard. College going gals will be able to identify with my look.
Where do you see your career now?
I am getting the right kind of roles now and I am deftly balancing both sensible and funny cinema. Even before Accident at Hill Road I was getting solo leads, but they were just not worth doing.
Right now, I am doing Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Show Man, and then there is Shri Ashtvinayak’s Run Bhola Run. Last, but not the least I am doing a woman oriented film Hello Darling, it is a Manoj Tiwari presentation (Assistant director Apna Sapna). What makes Hello Darling different from others of its genre is the story which is not on a very serious subject. I play a typical Sandra from Bandar with her required accent.
I am a self-made person and I have worked really hard to get to this position. I have earned the respect of people for my performances in films like Golmaland No Entry.
Then why are you type-casted as a glam doll?
I am at least surviving, and that’s what counts. Please don’t compare with so called actresses who only use Bollywood as a spring board to get married. It’s quite sad that some people still consider me a dumb good looking NRI. Farooque Sheikh was presently surprised when he came to know that I could speak Urdu very well.
You are also doing the Kannada remake of Aitraaz right?
Yes, I will be playing Priyanka’s part in “Sreematiâ€. Actually I was to play the same character in the original film. But that never happened as I was then in contract with Feroz Khan for Janasheen. Producers Abbas Bhai and Mustan Bhai say God has given me another chance as I really wanted to do this film.
Normally, South films are re-made in Hindi but here things are happening vice-versa.
Is this the first time you are going South?
No not really, before “Sreemati†I had done one more Telegu film with Mohan Babu’s son.
What do you besides acting?
Besides acting I devote my extra-time to attend and support various social causes such as Gay and Woman’s right. As I come from a defense background, I also work for the welfare of Army Jawans.
-Anil Merani
