MAHIMA CHAUDHARY has come a long way from her Pardes days. From being completely “covered up” to being a frequent cleavage flasher, the former Miss Darjeeling has sure invited the male gaze. Here’s her take on it...

What is the difference between working with a male director and a female director like Tanuja Chandra in Hope And A Little Sugar?

The comfort levels are higher with a female director. For instance, I can backslap Tanuja Chandra. I can call her at 2am or ask her to go out with me any time. I wouldn’t do that with a guy director because his family might misunderstand.

But do you think women directors present women better onscreen?

Sometimes I feel a man can represent a woman better on screen. For instance, Samar Khan, the director of Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaye, had a deep understanding of my character in the film. At times, when I hesitated to do a scene, he would tell me, “Take my word. This is the way guys react to a woman.”

At what age did you become aware of the male gaze?

Quite late, because I was in a boarding school with 300 girls! There was no boy’s school for miles on end so I really blossomed pretty late.

Now, at film shoots, you are constantly surrounded by men. Has the constant barrage of male talk influenced the way you talk?

Far from it. I have become a lot more feminine after entering this industry. I was more of a nomad earlier. I never did my eyebrows, never brushed my hair, never visited the parlour, never wore salwar kameezes. If and when a heroine speaks like one of the guys, in all probability, it is a defense mechanism. For instance, if I am playing a writer in a film, I dress like a tomboy because my character has to attend a story sitting at odd hours. Now if my character has to catch a bus to return home at two in the night, I wouldn’t wear a short skirt, would I?

Do you think the casting couch exists?

As far the casting couch goes, it exists if you allow it to exist. No one is so naive that he/she doesn’t know what’s going on.

Have you ever been propositioned by a film-maker?

No, I haven’t. A small-town girl who carries her portfolio from office to office would probably face a situation like that, but when you enter as an established model like I did, you get a different treatment. Similarly, nobody makes a pass at a star kid, either.

Men feel that not just men, women too misuse power...

For the past few years, women have been holding positions of power and that’s when these cases have come forward. We saw it in a film called Disclosure, didn’t we?

Do you feel like a second-class citizen in Bollywood when you compare the treatment you get vis-a-vis the heroes?

In the world of advertising, no commercial, whether it is for a razor blade or a suiting brand, is complete without a woman. So your pay cheque is bigger than that of a male model. Therefore a model-turned-actress would definitely feel a bit odd in the film industry where the hero’s cheque is bigger than her cheque even though a heroine has to put in two hours more than the hero to get dressed up. But one learns to accept it. Sridevi was a rare exception because she called the shots in a male-dominated industry for a couple of years.

When you dress quite boldly, are you catering to the male gaze?

It’s not a ploy to draw more male attention — I enjoyed that even when I was completely covered up in Pardes.

Do you rely on the male gaze to gauge if you are looking sexy or vulgar?

No. You feel it intuitively, from within. You can’t trust the male gaze because some men can make you feel uncomfortable even when you are completely clad.

Who is a more dependable judge — your man or your mirror?

There are two liars in my life, one is my weighing machine and the other is my mirror. The machine always tells me I weigh more than I actually do and my mirror never reconfirms that I am looking beautiful!

What would break your heart?

When the audience misunderstands you, it is fine because they don’t even know you. But when the man in your life misunderstands you, that breaks your heart.

In Dobara, you played a fiery wife who had a public showdown with her husband over his girlfriend in the lobby of a hotel. How would you handle infidelity in real life?

I would just walk out on the man.

Why not talk it out with your man — maybe you could find a solution?

No. I rely more on the body language than what the person is saying by way of explanation. I can make out when a person is hiding something from me. As an actor, you become a better judge of body language. Largely, most people are transparent.

Dinesh Raheja

(Bollywood News Service)

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