Sounth Indian Actress Reshma

Anushka - Telugu Actress

I don't agree with affairs as they cause pain: Aruna Shields

British actor Aruna Shields, of Anglo Indian descent launched to stardom overnight in Bollywood with her debut in action-thriller Prince. The press labelled her as India's new Bond girl.

Mr Singh Mrs Mehta is her second Bollywood release. Aruna Shields has gone for a complete image makeover with her new film Mr Singh Mrs Mehta, which releases on June 25. From a desi Bond babe, Shields has transformed herself into a girl-next-door from a small town in this film.

Tells us about your new film Mr Singh Mrs Mehta.
Mr Singh Mrs Mehta which release on June 25 is the directorial debut of Pravesh Bhardwaj who has assisted directors like Shyam Benegal and Gulzar and is produced by Medient.

Set in London, “Mr Singh Mrs Mehta” is the story of Ashwin Mehta and Neera Singh who find that their spouses are having an affair. Drawn together by shame and anger, they find comfort in their growing friendship even as they resolve not to be like their unfaithful mates.

How do you view this whole issue of extramarital affairs which have become now so common in the modern society?
I don't agree with affairs as they cause pain and secrets in relationships...but people will always have them and for a variety of usually selfish and complicated reasons: Neglect, insecurity, boredom, midlife crisis, weakness, excitement, stupidity, loneliness, revenge.

Neera has her affair out of loneliness, despair and confusion. Also her conscience is relieved because she knows her husband is also cheating on her! Every relationship is different and it's hard not to judge. Nobody is perfect.

To make your relationship less vulnerable to an affair you really have to communicate, not take your partner for granted and respect each other.

What is you role in the film Mr Singh Mrs Mehta?
I play Neera Singh, a girl from small town who is an agony aunt columnist who advices others on their relationship and discovers that her husband is cheating on her. It's a film about relationships.

From desi bond girl to an agony aunt that's quite a jump in the range of role.
From a high action film like Prince to a film based purely on relationships, you can say that it has been quiet a jump. I've been blessed to have done a variety of different roles so early on in my career.

I've played everything from femme fatale, girl next door, action hero to working class, even animalistic tribal woman. Even so, roles are easier to get when they are closer to what you actually are, because that's how you're perceived.

Otherwise you have to work hard changing yourself and making it believable. Plus you're competing with other actors who naturally are that type with no effort. You can do it, I've done it but it takes preparation.

Tells us more about your character Neera Singh.
Neera is evolving throughout the story. At the beginning she's a young innocent, naive girl who has recently got married and is besotted by her husband. As she discovers he is cheating on her, her world is shattered and her journey of self- discovery begins.

Her ideals and life philosophy are challenged throughout. She eventually has her own affair, later she allows herself to be a muse and painted naked...and in doing grows in confidence, her body language changes and she becomes more extroverted. She blossoms into an independent woman who can take on the world.

Do you relate to a character like Neera?
I related to Neera on many levels going back to when I was an insecure teenager, remembering and transferring those experiences in my own life which changed me. Remembering my behaviour and thought processes when I had been hurt in relationships. I often used subtle physicality to express her feelings.

Working in hindi language must have been difficult.
Yes it was. The words are not important to me... it is the feelings behind the words which count. But in order to allow emotions to flow you can't be fishing for lines as it takes you out of the moment...so I had a HUGE task making sure I knew lines extremely well.

What has been your experience working in Bollywood so far?
What I love about Bollywood is it's energy and life. Mumbai has an strangely addictive quality and even though you're hot and bothered when you're there....when you leave you miss it's craziness.

Everywhere you look there is a mini drama going on which is intriguing to watch. I have friends who have emigrated from England to Mumbai and when they come back to the UK they feel like they are entering utopia, everything runs smoother, however after a couple of weeks they get fidgety and bored.

My understanding of Bollywood is that it is The Matrix... a complex mystery, I have no idea why things happen the way they do and everything runs at a much faster pace. Everything is constantly changing...including scripts!!!

I think I learnt 9 versions of Prince, last minute. I try to look on the bright side...it's good for the mind. Also I'm too busy learning lines so it keeps me out of trouble.

Any plans of making Mumbai your base?
I'm so proud to have had the opportunity to work in the incredible world of Bollywood cinema, and at such a high level. Depending on the scripts I will continue to consider work offers from India. Even so, I'm not a Bollywood actor but an international actor and would like to remain so.

This means I have management in different countries (England, America, France and India) Regarding shifting base to one place, this is difficult because of the nature of my work. I'm a bit like a gypsy and travel all over. Maybe I will settle one day, I'll go with the flow and see what happens.

What are the other projects you are working on?
It's exciting times and I have the starring lead in studio feature film called AO The Last Neanderthal releasing in September. It's a gritty beauty and the beast love story based 30, 000 years ago.

'God's beautiful child' Koena gets her sixth tattoo

Latest addition is a Japanese inscription on her neck

Koyna Mitra has gone in for one more tattoo on her body and this one's on her neckline. She already has five tattoos. The impulsive actress assures us this isn't the last she gets inked.

She says, "There's a special meaning to the Japanese text I have got inked. When I was born, my parents hadn't decided on a name. For two days, the only identification I had was a white hospital wristband with the bed number and date and time of birth.

My grand-dad who came to see me, felt bad when he saw the band and he wrote 'God's beautiful child' on it. And that is what my new tattoo says too." The actress adds that she still has the band with her.

Mom not too happy
Koyna adds that her mom isn't happy about her tattoo fixation, but when she asked her maa for a suggestion, she was the one who came up with the idea to get 'god's beautiful child' tattooed in Japanese on her neck.

She got the tattoo made at Hakim Alim's salon, and it took 15 minutes, "It was done in no time and wasn't painful at all. The waist band inking that I got done took me close to seven hours, so this was a breeze."

When asked if she's consider getting her lover's name inked like Saif did? She laughed, "Never! That's something I am very clear about. I wouldn't even get my own name inked."

Koyna's six tats
Finger
Waist band
Trishul on the back
Anklet on the left foot
Flower below the waist band
Japanese inscription on neck

Censor clears Aruna Shields' Nude Love-Making scenes

London's desi import Aruna Shields who was last seen cavorting with Vivek Oberoi in Prince has bettered her score in her second Hindi film. In Mr Singh Mrs Mehta she has bartered the bikini for her birthday suit.

Though the censorboard has generously passed all the nude scenes and torrid love sequences between Aruna Shields and Prashant Narayanan in Pravesh Bhardawaj's Mr Singh Mrs Mehta with an 'A' certificate the director's wife Shruti Nagar (who works with Rajshri Productions) has objected to the way the director has repeatedly caught the couple in intimate postures all across the film.

There are three lengthy love-making scenes in Mr Singh Mrs Mehta.The wife feels her director-husband has over-done the sex and nudity.Apparently she has made her displeasure amply clear to her husband.

Says Pravesh, “There is one particular love- making sequence to which my wife Shruti reacted very strongly.Yes, Shruti did object saying, 'Ek aadh scene hota to koi baat nahin par yahan to puri film iske hi ird-gird ghoom rahi hai'.

She was very upset about the subject matter itself. There is a sequence in the film where Neera (Aruna Shields) undresses in a way that her clothes come off one by one. Shruti, my wife thought I should tone it down or not make a career selling nudity.”

Pravesh did reconsider his approach to nudity kissing and love-making. “It did make me rethink but it was a critical sequence in the film. I think she is upset that her husband made a film where nudity is central to the story itself. Actually she doesn't approve of the script and the reason being nudity.”

The director admits the nudity content is over-the-top. And the censors suggested that the ladies' bare back be blurred. “She is naked but wherever her derriere got exposed we had to blur it out.

A couple of censor members who were divided in their opinion wanted to go back on their decision and cut it out. But I think they realised that the psychological impact was not diluted.

We agreed on blurring the butt. For me nudity is the drama not the visibility of genitals. And the psychological impact is not diluted. I am happy with the end- result.”

The director hopes that the bare flesh is not misconstrued to be meant for titillation. “The film has been written for the average Indian viewer. I know I am taking a risk and I hope they get the point. otherwise I fail. but I am confident it gets across.”

Another sequence where Aruna Shields poses nude for her painter-lover has also been passed uncut.

Heaving a sigh of relief Pravesh says, “Ashwin (Prashant) has seen her naked. So Neera (Aruna) the muse is naked.

And I didn't want the sequence to be like the one in Titanic which was removed from the Indian version. The sequence is quite long and Neera is naked in the entire painting sequence.

Certain shots where her back is visible have been blurred but nothing had to be deleted from the film. Idea is not to provoke but to make it acceptable in our minds without making her a slut in the film.”

Pravesh feels the censorboard has demonstrated a deep maturity in passing the film. “We did have more than one revising committee screenings and lots of anxious moments. But if you ask me I would like to send a bouquet to censor board. No scene has been snipped.”

The actress Aruna Shields (earlier seen with Vivek Oberoi in Prince) agreed to go nude. “Naturally, she's posing for a nude painting. I am quite relieved that film was cleared. I was very nervous and afraid as people around me started counting the kisses also.

I did not have the budget to shoot alternate shots so depending on the clearance either I had a film on hand or none. I have shot the film in a certain manner where cutting out a sequence or faster cutting of certain scenes would have killed my narrative style. I want to be with 'world cinema'.

The biggest creative risk that I have taken is to have just four characters in the film.The film is shot with a hand- held camera keeping in mind the intimacy of story telling. A lot of scenes are done in long takes.

So if I had to snip a few scenes it would have been totally odd. In the final scene the nude scenes must be around ten odd minutes or more.”