The awaited Gulaab Gang starring Madhuri Dixit is all set to open soon. In this interview with Bollywood Hungama’s Joginder Tuteja, the film star |sets straight some misconceptions about the movie…
Ever since Gulaab Gang was announced with Madhuri Dixit in the lead, speculations have continued on whether the film is based on the life and times of Sampat Pal Devi who has formed a Gulabi Gang of her own.
Even as the namesake documentary was released, those associated with Anubhav Sinha and Sahara Movie Studios deny that their film has its bearings in the real-life personality.
Asked if the biopic factor induced her to pick up this Soumik Sen-directed film, Madhuri said: “To put the matters straight, Gulaab Gang is not a biopic. It is not based on anyone’s life.
“The character of Rajjo that I play in the film is completely fictitious. See, sometimes you may get inspiration from a work of art as well. It could be a painting, picture, anything. That doesn’t mean that you are bringing that exactly in your film.”
She has earlier worked in a few films involving the empowerment of women, two cases in point being Mrityudand and Lajja. How far is Gulaab Gang removed from these films?
“Well, Gulaab Gang too has a message but it is told in a very entertaining manner; there is no sermonising anywhere. Anyways, I don’t think there is any place for lectures in films. What makes the film further interesting is the fact that both the hero and the villain are women here.
“I loved it when (director) Soumik (Sen) said that he wanted people to forget about the protagonist as well as antagonist being women. As a matter of fact, they could well have been men,” said Madhuri.
For the actress of three decades who has played many characters, Madhuri is making a swift transition from “Begum” (Dedh Ishqiya) to “Rajjo” (Gulaab Gang). What did it take for her to get into an altogether different body language for this contemporary tale?
“After reading the script, I had a particular ‘look’ of Rajjo in mind. The make-up and hair came into place and then once the costume designer dressed me up, things started flowingy,” reflects Madhuri.
“See, for Begum, I had … to be all very poetic and sweet. On the other hand, Rajjo is very strong. It reflects in her … whole body language” – Bollywoodhungama.com
• Gulaab Gang opens on March 7 in local cinemas.