COMEBACK? WHAT’S THAT, ASKSUR MILA
The actor has done a special number in Blackmail
Hysterical. That’s the word Urmila Matondkar has for reports that she’s making a comeback. The actor is seen in a special song number, Bewafa Beauty, in Abhinay Deo’s Blackmail, starring Irrfan. With this song, she returns to the screen after almost a decade.
“I find it hysterical when the word comeback is used,” says Urmila. That word seems inappropriate to her — she says, “With time, other aspects become your priority, so you’ll obviously not work as much. And, acting is something that if you’ve known [it once], you’ll know it all your life.”
BEING SENSUOUS IS FEMININE
Urmila, who started as a child actor, shot to stardom with Rangeela (1995) and then stayed at the top for years, agreed to do the Blackmail song as she found it, “sexy, naughty, and fun”. She says, “I’ve known Abhinay for long. He had a clear vision of what he wanted — thumkas, nakhras, and attitude. I’m grateful for its amazing response. Public adulation is the ultimate high. I’m proud when my dance numbers are spoken about for my expressions and steps. It’s actually never about exposure. The appeal has to be in your eyes. Otherwise, you could be wearing anything or everything, and you could completely miss the point.”
“If you see my songs, they’re sexy songs. But being sensuous is an essential aspect of being an actor. It’s an essential part of being a woman. So why shy away from it? So long as there’s much more to you, I feel it’s perfectly fine to embrace it,” she says.
In 2016, Urmila made headlines when she wed model-businessman Mohsin Akhtar Mir. They tied the knot amid family and close friends. She says, “I always thought that marriage needs to happen at the right time, for the right reasons, and with the right person. Not that I was missing out on anything, but life has definitely become fuller. It’s a better ride with someone on your side.”
She adds that Mohsin is very supportive. “I’m a very open-minded person. So it was important to find someone similar. In fact, he was keen that I do the song [in Blackmail]. And I’m on social media partly because of him... it’s just for fun and to be in touch with people who appreciate my work,” says Urmila.
NEVER CHOSE THE MUNDANE
Why did she refrain from acting all these years? “It’s a combination of reasons. Something fantastic hasn’t come my way. Then, there are lots of other things to life than just acting, although that has been the best part of my life. So why do something mundane? I didn’t do it then and won’t do it now,” she says. “Even then, compared to my colleagues, I was extremely choosy — I can say that with all my modesty intact. However, I never said I won’t act. Not just my role, but the project in its entirety has to be exciting.”