On the Sidewalk

Anu Kumar

Trying to think of a place in this city which she can call her favourite, Urmila Matondkar rolls her eyes, rubs her chin, shakes her head making all the tiny bells around her jingle, and finally strikes upon a destination. "Cafe Naaz, I think would be the place I like best in Bombay," she says, decisively. "Yes, it is a beautiful place. You get a lovely view of the city from there," she smiles, making all the false moles on her face do a geographical permutation and combination. They are all a part of her heavy, heavy costume. Urmila is sitting resplendent in her China Gate costume -- she has done one song for Raj Kumar Santoshi's tribute to Kurosawa and from the promos, the song promises to be hot, hot, hot.

Suddenly, as an afterthought, she adds that she has never been to Cafe Naaz at the Hanging Gardens. "But I have seen it in movies so I can imagine what it would be like." Well, in the world of make believe she knows her way around this three-tiered cafe but does she ever intend to get afirst-hand taste of this place? "One does not get time to do things now and it is also not possible anymore," she says in a matter-of-fact acknowledgment of her star status. "But another place I also really like is Marine Drive, opposite the Oberoi," she adds, hurriedly as if she's just realised that maybe choosing a spot she has never been to, as her haunt-away-from-home, sounds a bit strange. And did she walk down Marine Drive a lot, before she became a star? "Oh no, I've just been there for shootings. But I can imagine that it is a lovely place for a walk." It seems that Urmila's mind takes her far.

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