This Rajasthani gal’s dream of becoming an actress came true when she was offered the Telugu film Slokam. Although a stranger to the Telugu language she managed to gain the audiences attention with acting and her glam doll image. In a very informal chat with Ragalahari, Madhu Sharma speaks about her latest film, Director Ravi Babu’s Party and also her personal likes and dislikes.
Q: Tell us about your family?
A: Basically I am from Rajasthan. I am a Marwadi girl. We are typical Marwadi family. Very Indian. My mother is a house wife. My father is a businessman. And I have a brother.
Q: What about your education?
A: I have done my education from Bombay. I finished my graduation.
Q: How come you entered the film industry?
A: The film industry…. It was always my passion. Right from childhood I wanted to enter the film industry. I wanted to become an actress. That was the only thing on my mind. I never thought of becoming a doctor or an engineer. I always wanted to become an actor. Even in school I took part in stage performances. And in college I took part in ramp shows and did modeling. Then suddenly I got an offer for a Telugu movie. That was Slokam my first Telugu movie. So I picked up the offer, It was a good chance. I just love this field. I love to act. And now that I am here I am very happy.
Q: Who encouraged you the most? Your mother or your father?
A: My mother encouraged me a lot. It was her ambition at one time to become something. And then later she encouraged me to achieve something she could not do. Because in Marwadi families, which are very conservative, girls are not allowed to go out much. They are married off at a very early age. So my mom also got married at a very early age. She did not want me to get restricted. She allowed me to pursue my passion that is acting.
Q: Whom do you love the most among your parents?
A: My mom. Because she is very close to me. We are very much attached to each other. She pampers me a lot. Although everybody pampered me a lot, you know daughters are closer to their moms. My father was always very busy. I used to hardly get to see him every day. You know when he used to come home late in the night I was sleeping and in the mornings I would leave early for school. So it was my mother who was with me all the time. She was there during my good and bad times. I really love my mother a lot and worship her.
Q: How did you come across your first offer in the Telugu film industry?
A: My first offer was Slokam. Sharma sir, the producer, had come to Bombay looking for a new face. At that time somebody told me that some audition was going on and to give it a try. I was still studying. But I thought ‘why not give it a try’. So I went and gave an audition. He liked me saying that he wanted a bubbly character like me for the movie. So I was into the movie.
Q: Did you know anything about the Telugu film industry at that time?
A: I knew about Tollywood. Everybody used to talk about Telugu and Tamil movies. Because at point of time I was studying I did not know much about it. Otherwise we used to watch Venkatesh and Nagarjuna’s movies. So we knew of South Indian movies. That they are very good movies filled with emotion and sentiments. We knew about Mani Ratnam and others. So Tollywood was there in my mind.
Q: Tells us about the movie you are doing presently, Party?
A: Party is a party movie. It’s a fun movie. Every body can watch it. Right from a child to the older people. It’s a family movie. It’s a comedy. I have enjoyed every bit of the movie. It’s a different movie. People will not be able to sit quietly. They will just laugh and laugh all the way.
Q: Tell us about your character in the movie?
A: I am the CEO’s daughter. Brahmanandam sir is my father in the movie. And you can imagine with him as my father there will be lot of comedy. She works along with her father. She has got her own style. She is very elegant, very sophisticated. She is an educated girl whose knows how the world is. And these two guys just jump in and create a whole lot of mess.
Q: How was it working with director Ravi and your co-stars Naresh and Shashank?
A: It was great. Ravi sir is really great. I got to learn a many things from him. Till now what ever directors I have worked with have been real good to me and have taught me a lot. This is the first time I am attempting comedy. I was really scared whether I will be able to do it or not. But Ravi sir has made me act really well in this movie. Naresh was real fun to work with. I mean the entire unit was young. Whether it was Ravi sir, Naresh, Shashank and even Brahmanandam sir. Everybody enjoyed working for PARTY.
Q: Who is your favorite co-star?
A: I like everybody. Everybody is nice.
Q: Did you any time feel nervous working with somebody in particular?
A: No. I was never nervous. Everybody made me feel so comfortable right from day one. I did not feel nervous at all.
Q: Who do you think is very macho?
A: Prabhas. I saw his Chatrapathi movie. He was really very good in it. I really liked him in that movie. Then I like Nagarjuna garu. He is really nice; very sweet. He is very charming and handsome. I told you know I like everybody. I like one quality in everyone. Prabhas is very macho, very manly kinds. Venkatesh garu is again very nice and the lovable sought. Everybody has got some quality or the other.
Q: How do you feel about the kind of encouragement you get from the film industry?
A: People here are very encouraging. It’s nice. I mean Bombay girls come here and work. Tollywood supports us so much. Although it is an alien language for us they support so nicely; they make us comfortable. It’s great working here.
Q: Are you working in any other regional language films?
A: No. I am presently working only in Tollywood.
Q: Your dream roles?
A: First of all I want to do a very Indian kind of role. Till now I have done and been offered only glamorous roles. I want to do something like what Rani Mukheerji did in Black. And I know for that I have to know Telugu. So I am learning Telugu. What Rani did in Black was too good. Even Sridevi in Sagma was good. I want to do something like that. You know, a performance oriented role. Something with which I can prove my talent.
Q: Who are your favorite actor and actress?
A: My favorite actress is Sridevi. I love her; she is too good. And my favorite actor is Ajay Devgan.
Q: Did your friends start treating you differently after you joined the film industry?
A: No. I actually told my friends that the day they start treating me differently I will leave them. Because I don’t want to be treated differently. I am a normal person and they should treat me as such.
Q: What are the best compliment you received so far?
A: After Gautham SSC almost everybody told me that I looked very sexy in the movie. Especially in one song. Then many people said that I have a very nice smile.
Q: You don’t mind being branded as a sexy girl?
A: No. it’s nice.
Q: How do you maintain your figure?
A: I do a lot of exercise. I have a black belt in martial arts. So I practice that. So nobody should mess around with me (laughs). Other than that, I drink lots water. I love to eat fruits. I work out a lot. And every day in the morning I practice yoga for half an hour. It gives a lot of mental peace. I believe that if you are calm and positive from within, it shows on your face.
Q: How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
A: Valentine’s Day? I was doing a show for Chatrapathi that day (laughs).
Q: Did you get any proposals on Valentine’s Day?
A: No (Smiles). So bad. Nobody likes me in Hyderabad. Nobody proposed to me (Laughing).
Q: What is your opinion about love?
A: Love is a beautiful thing in life. Everybody should fall in love. But they should also be practical about it and not get very emotional. Basically, girls get very emotional and they don’t think about what is happening and what it actually is. Love is a beautiful thing. But you should think practically and then fall in love.
Q: Till now how many love proposals did you get?
A: I did not get any till now. I mean when I was in college, I used to get like one everyday. I was a very simple kind of girl. So there were many proposals in college. But nothing of the serious sought.
Q: What do you prefer, a love marriage or an arranged marriage?
A: I’ll go for an arranged marriage actually. Its not that I don’t believe in love marriage or anything like that. I don’t know, I feel as if I will somehow go with the guy my mom chooses. She knows me better; she knows what is good for me. So which ever guy she chooses. I’ll go with him; I will fall in love with him and then marry him (Smiles). I think it will be like that.
Q: What are the qualities you would like in your life partner?
A: He should very truthful. He should never lie to me. And he should make me laugh every moment. He should pamper me a lot. Because I love flowers, I love balloons; I love chocolates (Laughing). So he should pamper me with all these things. He should also be very practical; very caring. He should be able to handle me properly because I am very childish and don’t think before I say something.
Q: Tell us about your negative and positive points?
A: Negative points? My negative point is that I believe everybody. That is the worst thing in me. If anybody comes and talks to me very sweetly I think that that person is being very truthful. And positive? I am positive about my life. I keep laughing most of the time. So that I think is my positive point.
Q: What is the one thing you like about yourself?
A: I don’t like any thing about myself.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: My hobbies….. I like to dance. And I am very talkative, so I love to just chat. And….I think I forgot what hobbies I have. I just love to dance; Basically that is my hobby.
Q: Which is your most memorable day? How did you celebrate it?
A: That day hasn’t come as yet. And when that day will come I will decide at that time how to celebrate it.
Q: What about your food habits?
A: Actually I am low on appetite. I know that I look healthy (smiles). But I don’t eat much. I am very fussy. I don’t have my lunch and my dinner on time. My mother is always after me telling me that you should always eat first and then work.
Q: What’s your favorite car?
A: I like big cars actually. Now which car do I like…………? I generally like sports cars.
Q: What kind of outfits do you like?
A: I love to wear salwar kurtas. For parties I like to wear skirts and jeans. I have many choices actually. I love to wear everything.
Q: What kind of dreams do you usually get?
A: I get a lot of animal dreams. Because I love animals. I usually end up dreaming about a dog or a snake. Or as if I am swimming. And flowers; as if I am in a beautiful garden. All that kind of dreams.
Q: Do you ever feel lonely?
A: Yes. But only sometimes.
Q: What is your lucky number?
A: I don’t have any such thing. Everything is lucky. Whatever god has made whatever number or days he has made, everything is lucky.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: Presently I am working in Pournami. Party is finished and ready for release. And I am listening to other subjects. I want to take my time. Like I said before I want to do performance oriented roles. Till now I did only glamour, glamour and glamour. I had enough of glamour. I want to do something in which I can perform. Something Indian. So I am at present just listening and deciding what to do.
Q: What is your ambition?
A: I want to become a very good actress. I don’t mind doing even negative roles. Kajol did a negative character in Gupt and she became famous after that. See whether it is a negative or a positive character; an artist should be able to perform everything. If people really hated the negative character you performed, that means you justified the character.
Q: What is your date of birth?
A: 13th December 1984. (after a pause) actually you should never ask a girl her age (laughing).
