After being in core Factory company and then racing along the filmi road to stardom, ANTARA MALI returns to set the screen on fire with the new Ram Gopal Varma film Naach. The actress spoke to Pratim D. Gupta about the musical and how poetry is all about realism.

You are back at your sizzling best in Naach. What is it all about?

It is basically a story about two people with separate ideologies. They fall in love and how the two different ideologies result in a conflict between the two.

So why Naach?

Because it is dance which gets the two of us together. I play Reva, an aspirational choreographer, and Abhishek plays Abhi, a wannabe actor. The title comes from the simple fact that it is because of dance that the characters interact in the film.

Who is Reva?

She is an idealist who must have things her own way. Reva doesn?t believe in compromising with creativity.

Everyone feels Naach is the new Rangeela. What?s your take on it?

When Company came out, everyone said it was another Satya. Now, with Naach and all the glamour and musical elements in the film, it?s very obvious that people will immediately compare it to Rangeela. As far as I am concerned, Naach has nothing to do with Rangeela. It is much more intense.

But it is a musical like Rangeela?

And it claims to be one. You are just reacting to the images in the promos. Naach is very gritty. The music and dance, all that is there all right. With a title like Naach can it have something else? But then again it is very real with the characters based in reality.

This has been another film with Mr Varma. How easy has it been?

It is like working in a particular office and over a period of time you do strike up a rapport with your boss. And my rapport with Mr Varma is very good. There is that level of comfort when we work together. We are able to bring out the best in one another.

But it is the first time you are working with Abhishek Bachchan...

You know what, the kind of people we play in the film, the chemistry between us was always very important. And we have been able to bring that about. Abhishek has done a brilliant job in the film.

What about the kiss everyone is talking about?

Oh! It?s way over-hyped. Come on, people are kissing all over the place. What?s wrong with that? In Naach, it?s not just a kiss, it?s the beginning of a love story. A kiss is something very real. When you do love someone, you do not sit two seats apart from each other. You hold each other, you kiss. That?s how you express love.

So finally, Naach is about the romance of love or the realities of life?

It is lyrical, it is poetic. But it is based in reality. Real life can be poetic. And that is the philosophy Abhishek, Mr Varma and myself have tried to achieve through the film.

But is it good enough to take on such biggies like Veer-Zaara and Aitraaz, not to mention Mughal-e-Azam?

I feel it?s healthy competition. It?s an honour to have such big films releasing with our film. Every film has its own audience. Those who want to watch Naach will go and see it. But it?s fantastic for the audience. It will be a great Diwali for them with some great choices.