Mallika Sherawat’s first major break in the movies was Govind Menon’s Khwahish, a brazen adaptation of Erich Segal’s Love Story with even the dialogues from the original novel vandalized. To celebrate her birthday as Mallika Sherawat turns 49, Subhash K Jha shares this throwback interview about her first film, which released in 2003 and stepping into the spotlight.
Mallika was nervous about the road ahead. “It’s still an uphill struggle. I don’t have any godfathers in the film industry. Sometimes I feel terribly alone. But going to the theatres to check out Khwahish has been a great experience. Women are coming in spite of it being promoted as ‘sexy’ film. I realize how important glamour and sex appeal are to the Hindi film heroine. But I don’t want to be labelled only sexy for life.”
At that point of time, Mallika didn’t think she would be saddled with a bold image. “Even the critics have liked me. And why just me, even my co-star Himanshu Malik has done a wonderful job. The fact that he was a decent and supportive human being really enhanced my performance.”
The Delhi girl, born in Rohtak, admits the projection of Khwahish as a sexy film was a publicity gimmick. Demonstrating unusual pragmatism for a girl with an oomphy image, she sighs, “I had to somehow survive in this industry. So many new girls come and go and nobody gives them a second glance. At least Khwahish had a bumper opening. Otherwise, I’d have ended up being just another smalltown girl who got lost in showbiz”
Her eyes light up when she remembers the day she was selected for Khwahish. “The director screen-tested 400-500 girls before he finally selected me. Govind Menon warned me that this was radical film where the girl talks about condoms and kissing without blushing. He told me the camera would be taken into a married couple’s bedroom. I was asked to prepare myself for doing things heroines don’t generally do in our films. To me there was no question of not doing it. It’s high-time our movies stopped mothering audiences. I ‘m very proud of being part of Khwahish.”
Mallika is from Haryana. “I’m the first Jatni to make it in Bollywood. The press back home is going ballistic. My mother and grandmother were very worried after seeing the hot promos. But after seeing Khwahish their misgivings vanished.”
She admits her orthodox parents weren’t happy with her presence in what looked like a sleazy film. “My father didn’t speak to me for a whole year. My entire family was upset. Only my mother was with me. Woh toh maa hai na. It was a really tough period. But now everyone is happy with me. My family bought tickets in the black market to see my film,” she squeals in delight.
The aggressively pitched sexual references in the dialogues didn’t bother the Rohtak girl. “I treated them like any other scene in the script. The important thing was to understand my character Lekha, and how she reacts to what any given situation.”
Khwahish is a scene by scene facsimile of Erich Segal’s novel Love Story. Mallika mildly defends her film. “Even Jism was inspired by Double Indemnity and Devdas I believe, has been done three times. I had read Erich Segal’s novel—who hasn’t?—but I hadn’t seen the film. I wanted to interpret the character in my own way.”
Mallika wasn’t completely new to movies. Using her real name Reema Lamba (“too many similar-sounding actresses around, and Mallika means the empress”) she actually played the second lead in Vashu Bhagnani’s Jeena Sirf Merre Liye. She described it as an unpleasant experience. “Do you want me to be diplomatic about this? I was frankly disappointed. The role was something else when it was narrated to me. I had two songs and several crucial scenes and these were mentioned in the contract. It’d been very tough for me. Thank God for Khwahish. Whatever identity I ‘ve today is because of this film.”
Mallika says she’s got quite a lot of offers after Khwahish. “But I don’t want to sign anything that comes my way. I’ve been signed by Govind Menon for his next film. It’s a completely heroine-oriented film and totally different from Khwahish. I get to sport a completely desi ghagra-choli look. I really enjoyed working with Govind Menon. I liked how my role addressed itself to many issues such as double standards about sex and woman’s equality.”
Mallika also claimed she was offered an Indo-French project. “They’re planning to cast a British actor opposite me. But this project is still in the discussion stage. Actually I’ve had offers opposite John Abraham and Sunny Deol. But I want to be extremely careful with what I do. The banner and the leading man aren’t important. I’d like to do a role like Tabu in Chandni Bar . But why would directors come to me for a role like that?”
