Sushmita Sen: I Don’t Pay For My Men!

She’s a woman redefined, she’s a mother reborn. She’s an actor redesigned; she’s here to stay for long. SUSHMITA SEN’s hiatus is over and the woman-of-power is back with her wits, charm, intelligence and elegance in tow. When you meet this dusky beauty, you ‘inhale’ warmth. She is one of the finest beings from tinsel town. Swagata Dam has a heart-to-heart with the former Miss Universe who talks about love, life and everything in between…

It’s been two decades since you were crowned Miss Universe… How has the journey been?
It has been like a blink. I was 18 when I won Miss Universe, 28 when my movie career was going great guns and now suddenly, I’m 38! Life has been simply unreal. My body and mind feel fitter than ever, though. At 38, I’m naughtier than I ever was.

You certainly look better than ever…
Yes, because I’ve been practicing aerial yoga and Calisthenics religiously; these are forms of fitness that are popular abroad. I got in touch with an instructor to get its nuances right. It started with me as the guinea pig and I took to it like fish in the water. If I can do it, anybody can. So I’m starting a fitness concept called ‘Inhale’ to train people in it.

Why have you stayed away from the camera for more than three years?
I don’t take conscious decisions; I do what I like. Four years ago, when I took on another baby after Renee, a whole new style of parenting was coming into play. That’s when I took the conscious decision to not do anything else. After a year, when I went back to reading scripts, I was horrified by the kind of material that was coming my way. Hats off to people who can lobby and fight tooth-and-nail for a role, but I have no time for that.

Do you feel that made you look distant and cut-off from the industry?
People called me unapproachable and the media reported that I never answered anyone’s calls. That wasn’t true. I was very approachable. I just learned how to say ‘No’. I was never here to make friends and socialize. Having equations within the industry for reasons other than work would just give people access to my life. I didn’t want that.

But your fans can finally heave a sigh of relief, since you’ve signed a Bengali film…
Yes, I have! When Rupali Guha started narrating Jodi Emon Hoto to me, I was already thinking of buying the film’s Hindi remake rights. And by the end of the narration, I was a part of the film.

And then there’s the much-awaited Happy Anniversary to look forward to…
Frankly, the announcement of Happy Anniversary in the form of Prahlad Kakkar’s interview came prematurely. I didn’t want to say anything until an official announcement was made. He’s a very stylish filmmaker and the script is amazing. We’ll start shooting soon.

Does this effectively end all rumours about the ‘tension’ between you and Ash?
There was no truth to those rumours. I’m going to be working with almost all of the Bachchans as Amitji and Abhishek are also part of the project.

Did you miss acting during your hiatus?
I missed acting when I went to the theatres and watched a film that touched me. When I saw Kangana (Ranaut) in Queen, I felt like I was missing acting in front of the camera. The girl has done such a brilliant job.

Is Bollywood opening up to women-oriented cinema?
A hero guarantees a certain kind of opening, so producers pump in Rs 55 Cr. in the blink of an eye. Until recently, people were scared to touch a woman-centric film. But now things are changing; people now understand the math of investing in woman-centric films. However, heroes still get all the grand-openings; I hope that changes.

sursa: http://www.magnamags.com/stardust/Sushmita-Sen--I-Don%E2%80%99t-Pay-For-My-Men/4318

Aish si Sushmita in 1994