You can’t think of Vishal Bhardwaj’s Ishqiya without thinking of its central character – Krishna. In what was one her most powerful roles, Vidya Balan played the sultry, sharp-tongued character in printed saris and long tresses. Playing a dominatrix of sorts, her kiss and intimate scene with Arshad Warsi became one of the talking points of the movie.
So now, as Madhuri Dixit-Nene prepares to start shooting for the sequel (Dedh Ishqiya) in September, everyone wants to know what her character is going to be like. Of course, the film will also star Arshad and Naseeruddin Shah.
Madhuri says, “I know there was talk about me being associating with the project even before I gave my nod. But at that time, I was taking things slowly because I wanted to settle down and help my kids adjust with the new environment.”
The actor is all praises for Ishqiya’s actors and director Abhishek Chaubey: “I’m really excited about both my co-stars. They were brilliant in Ishqiya. I loved that film also because of Abhishek. It didn’t seem like a debut film. And I don’t have enough words to praise Vidya. Her performance took the film to another level.”
If her character is going to be anything like Vidya’s, the question arises whether the 45-year-old mother of two will be comfortable with intimate scenes. “I don’t think marriage or motherhood has anything to do with an actor’s work. My kids (Arin and Rayan) and husband (Dr Sriram Nene) know that I’m an artiste. I can’t shy away from anything that a script demands, even if it’s physical intimacy,” she reasons.
She adds, however, that a scene like that has to be integral to the plot: “If I’m convinced that it’s essential to the script, and I know it will be shot aesthetically, I won’t say no to intimate scenes. Vidya’s scenes were shot so beautifully in Ishqiya. If Dedh Ishqiya absolutely needs something of that sort, I’m game.”
