Mmm... Mallika!
Source: Times Of India

Queen of oomph Mallika Sherawat blasts metrosexuals and admits what she finds most appealing in a man is what lies between his ears!

Omar Qureshi reports

CALL it the ‘M’ factor or the ‘Mmm’ factor, she seems to share both with Mona Lisa, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna et al. Except that, at the moment, our homegrown sex-symbol-withthe-sexier-IQ, Mallika Sherawat, wants to flaunt it no more! Like Hollywood divas of the ’70s, almost Garboesque, Ms Sherawat has decided that she’d rather stay a “sexy recluse” than cater to a media that sometimes gives her that unkindest cut.

“I’ve said this before and I say it again that I didn’t decide to stay away from the media on a whim. Other than the fact that I’ve been shooting in the boondocks, the reason I became choosy is that the Press treated me as this one-stop goodie shop for ‘quotes’. And when it bordered on the tacky and vulgar, based more on the imagination of the writers and editors, I said, ‘that’s it’. ‘Enough’! And I began concentrating even more on my work,” she says.

Focusing on your job is one thing, but did she have to work as hard on becoming a sex symbol? Mallika smiles, “I think being a sex symbol is fun. But it’s also a lot of hard work. It takes plenty of discipline. I think filmmakers should give me a chance to prove my talent. To prove that I can act. Look, I did a lot of things to attract attention so I could get myself in a position to do the kind of quality work I wanted to do. Today, I’m in that position and am striving to do better work. Still, there’s one thing that I believe in, and I’m saying this in black and white – It’s better to be looked over than be overlooked!”

So was it this belief that prompted her to break rules on the way? “I admit I’ve broken all rules,” Mallika says readily. Then adds, “I’d have reached nowhere if I’d followed them. I can’t be a conformist; I think it breeds mediocrity. I know I’m far too individualistic. Why condemn me for that?” Does she believe there’s too much mediocrity around? “I’m not saying that, you just said it,” she laughs and sips some lavazza coffee.

Continuing the thread of being a sex symbol, yet striving for good roles... So, is Mallika aiming for that balance? “Why not? This is the second phase of my career. From now on, hype, hoopla and sexy quotes are passé. Finally, nothing counts except your work. People are going to judge you by the kind of characters you play,” she says.

Talking of characters, Mallika hasn’t tried anything radical so far. Why’s that? She says, “Everybody gets stereotyped, not only here but also abroad. My favourite, Javier Bardem, a Spanish actor, was stereotyped as this male sex symbol and had to work in many different films to break that image. Jim Carrey was categorised as a comic. For that matter, even Ajay Devgan faced this till Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam happened. As for me, if I say I want to grow as an actress, industry folk look at my body, at my figure lasciviously. If I tell them I want to grow intellectually, enrich my knowledge, they laugh. They don’t want me to be serious about my work.”

But she did seem very serious when she tried her hand at international crossover cinema with The Myth. Though the media dismissed her role, was she happy with the end result? Mallika shakes her head impatiently. “It’s not the end result. Movies like The Myth come once in a lifetime. It took me to Cannes, to the Toronto film festival. It gave me international film exposure and a chance to meet people and understand different cultures,” she says. Okay, but the media allegations...? The actress continues, “I may have been a small part of the film, but I’m glad I was. Richard Corliss, a renowned critic, wrote that I’d brought glamour back to Cannes. He said: ‘most courageous, most gorgeous’… They said I reminded them of Bardot and Monroe! And for me, it meant more because unlike Aishwarya Rai, I’m still a baby in Bollywood. I’m just four films old.”

Taking a break from heavy filmi stuff, we decide to ask Mallika what every man wants to ask her. According to her, a man’s sex appeal lies between...? She’s quick to answer, “Between the ears!” Then in the same vein, she adds, “I’m a Jat and no Jat is 100 per cent literate. To most, physical beauty is very important. However, grey matter is most important to me. But, my man shouldn’t take things too seriously as then, life becomes boring.” And what sort of a man does she prefer – retrosexual or metrosexual? Mallika raises an eyebrow. “Metrosexuals? I think they are mere clones of women. They go to beauty parlours to get a manicure, pedicure, facial... That’s called being a metrosexual? Then they wear colours like orange, pink and red, the way women do; go into kitchens and call themselves chefs. Is that it?” she says indignantly.

This brave, gorgeous individual seems to have done it all – ‘17 kisses’, ‘infidelity’, ‘murder’... Any vices left? Mallika grins wickedly, “Many. I’ve been uncompromising and stubborn. I’ve refused to give in. I guess I’m just larger than life!”