‘Help’ at hand

A big fan of the genre,Mugdha thinks it’s her good fortune to be doing horror so early in her career. “Usually actors get offered such films only after several years,as this genre requires a different set of skill and talent. I’m so glad that Rajeev thought I could pull it off,” she says,adding,“I watch a horror film every three days,so I didn’t even need to research a lot for my role.” Amidst exchanging friendly banter and one-liners with his film’s leading lady,Virani quips,“We would joke around and tell Mugdha that to play a girl possessed by a spirit,she just had to be herself!” And then on a more serious note,he adds,“The film is scripted in such a way that both Bobby Deol and Mugdha had guidelines to follow. In fact,the USP of Help is that it shows the five different stages of possession. A lot of research has gone into the script,and I hope it will help raise the bar of horror films.”

While Mugdha believes in the supernatural,Virani,surprisingly,doesn’t. “But,I didn’t take any chances while shooting at the 150-year-old French colonial building in Mauritius. We had heard stories of a child having been murdered in one of the rooms,and we actually shot our ‘possession’ scene there,but only during the day! I didn’t push my luck and shoot at midnight – my crew wouldn’t have turned up!” Rajeev chuckles.

Mugdha and Bobby play a married couple in the film,and Bobby spends most of his time trying to save her life after she gets possessed. So where in all this does the need and chance for Mugdha’s much talked about bikini shots arise? “I got a chance to show the chemistry and the normal glamorous life of the couple only in the beginning. Thus,the bikini scenes,” Rajeev clarifies,while Mugdha adds,“And it’s not a big deal for me,as I started my career with Gladrags,where I had to wear a bikini. The media has hyped my mother’s reaction to it. All she said was – ‘What is this?’ but this quote has been blown out of proportion to depict that she’s upset with my decision!”

Mugdha’s decisions have proved to be quite right for her career. “I debuted with Fashion and my role garnered a lot of praise. That was a realistic film,and though such films have so much depth,they have few takers in the audience. That’s why I did All the Best,which was a typical commercial comedy. Even my next role in Will You Marry Me? with Rajeev Khandelwal involves lots of naach-gaana,” she explains. Though she can’t predict her future,she is purposefully working her way up the graph. “I’ve struggled initially,but then who doesn’t,other than star kids? Actually,even they have to face some competition. What really matters is how you cope with the struggles,” she says.

Though she has moved base to Mumbai,Mugdha still calls herself a true-blue Puneri. “I come to meet my folks whenever I get the time. A lot has changed and yet so much is still the same. I remember the time when I would ride my bike from Camp to my home in Sahakar Nagar at 2 am. I hope the city always remains that safe for girls,” she says.

When she’s not shooting,walking the ramp as a showstopper for designers or watching horror flicks (Raat,Ring and 1408 being her favourites),Mugdha pampers herself. “I also watch a lot of international cinema as it increase one’s skills and knowledge,” she quips. The actress is also known for her open support to the gay community. “I have friends who are gay. It’s a part of nature. They are human beings just like us so why the discrimination? We’re a democratic country and everyone has the right to make their own choices,” she signs off.