Ila Arun in Jodhaa Akbar

Ila Arun is on a walk in the clouds. The earthy-voiced singer, whose biggest calling card all these years has been the Choli ke peechhey number from Khalnayak back in the early 90s, is back in the news with her sterling performance as Maham Anga in Jodhaa Akbar and singing the theme song for the Rajasthan Royals, Jaipur’s Indian Premier League team.

Why were you looking for a role in Jodhaa Akbar?

I was hugely impressed by Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swades and Lagaan. His background is in theatre and he makes meaningful films. I heard Rajasthan would be involved in the film. So I thought I could get something on the Rajput side, perhaps Jodhaa’s mother. Khubsurat pehnne ko milegi and I can handle Rajput mannerisms. But he gave me something about which I had no clue — Muslim culture. Every artiste wants such a role.

What has Maham Anga given you?

People know me for music and dance. Choli ke peechhey had given me so much fame, but that had a commercial appeal. Maham Anga’s role had a different creative satisfaction. I lived and died many deaths with that role. Literally.

How?

My best scene in the movie was my death scene. They have deleted it in the movie. The history books say how close Akbar was to Maham Anga. When she died he didn’t eat for 15 days. In the scene, Akbar (Hrithik Roshan) comes into my chamber and sits at my bedside calling me Bari Ammi. I tell him Jodhaa ko main samajh nahin payi. Mujhe maaf kar de. That would have rounded up my character. Bahut dukh hua mujhe uss scene kaat ne ka. It was also one of Akbar’s best scenes. But I understand with such a long movie it gets hard for the director. I hope they keep it in the DVD.

You got recognition with your role in Shyam Benegal’s Bose: The Forgotten Hero too…

Main khud Netaji ko bahut pasand karti hoon. That role, Uttamchandji’s wife, may have been small but being a part of such a big hero’s life fills one with patriotism. Multani seekhi thi main uss role ke liye.

If you work with a director like Benegal saab you learn so much, it doesn’t matter logon ne film dekhi ya nahin dekhi.

Aren’t you doing his next film too?

Yes. It’s an amazing comedy called Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur. Mine is a cameo. Benegal saab is my godfather. He introduced me in Mandi. Even standing at a corner in his film is enough.

But right now, you are in attack mode with the track Halla bol…

If Shah Rukh can run the Calcutta team, why can’t I lend my voice to the land of my birth? Rajasthan is not just the land of maharajas. Here everyone has a sprit of royalty. That’s why we have put in so much local colour in the jingle — ‘bugle bajake, dhol bajake, muchh ghumake, pagri ghumake rang jamane aye hain…’

Who is your favourite player?

There are so many local youngsters in the team. And there is Shane Warne. After my performance at the launch, he told me: “I understood one thing (in the song): attack.” Though Sourav Ganguly is not in our team, let me tell you how much I appreciate his guts.