Language not withstanding, this was a role that Sana Khan was expected to carry on her shoulders. A model from Mumbai, Khan entered the south Indian film industry with Tamil film ‘Silambattam’ opposite Simbu, subsequently working in Telegu and Kannada films. Her last Tamil film was ‘Payanam.’ With ‘Climax’, she is making her debut in the Malayalam industry.
Khan won third place in ‘Bigg Boss’, the Indian reality show based on the ‘Big Brother’ format, that got her big ticket into Bollywood and a role in ‘Mental’, opposite none other than Salman Khan.
In an exclusive chat with tabloid! she talks about playing the legendary actress Silk Smitha.
On accepting the role
“I always enjoy taking up things that people don’t do. When I watched ‘The Dirty Picture’ [the Bollywood film based on the life of Silk Smitha], I thought this is a role I would love to play. You can’t always play a goody girl. As an actress I wish to explore different characters. It is a powerful role in this woman-oriented story. I am there in every single frame of the film. And now it feels good to see only me in the posters.
On playing Silk Smitha
“People have adored Silk [Smitha] as the ultimate sex symbol. Naturally there was the question of how well I would be able to portray her. I had to understand her who was a normal girl coming from a poor family. She lived with her mum and worked as a maid before entering films. Her sex appeal and her ‘I don’t care attitude’ made her stand out. I had to convey this trait throughout the film.
I presumed that I would be expected to gain weight for the role, but Anil did not want that. For the earlier scenes in the story, I wore make-up to appear dusky but as the story progressed, that was not required since by then Silk had become a star.”
Working in the Malayalam industry
“It was my first break in this industry and a language I was completely new to. I went to set with an open mind. I did not take any references so that I could follow the director’s vision. Anil [Kumar] was super calm and made the story easy. Without his encouragement and his team of assistants, I would not have managed the film. It was more like a joy ride. I thank cameraman Sajith for making me look so beautiful on screen. His shots have been done aesthetically without appearing vulgar.”
On being on ‘Bigg Boss’
“The entire journey of 100 days was great fun. Everyone wondered how Sana could be so happy. Being a fan of the show I lived each moment. Many a times, I thought I would be evicted but I stayed on and each time that happened I wondered how. It was mentally exhausting. We were shut off from the outside world and not allowed to carry in pens, books, clocks and phones. There were times when I could not sleep for 48 hours. At the end of it, I have emerged stronger and wiser. My mum was happy that my housekeeping skills improved as we were all allotted work. I had to roll out 150 rotis every day.”
Bollywood debut
‘Mental’ directed by Sohail Khan is not a typical commercial film. I play a rich spoilt brat, yet it is a strong character.
DIRECTOR’S TALK
It is a film that will inevitably draw comparisons with Bollywood’s ‘The Dirty Picture’ and Malayalam director Anil Kumar is very aware of that. Refusing to say whether his film is a biopic of the late actress who died tragically at 35, Kumar says the Bollywood’s film was fictitious.
“Smitha was not portrayed right in the film. She was not at all a flirt in real life. She was a simple village girl who came to Chennai. A sensitive woman, Smitha was blind in love and went through pangs of betrayal,” he says.
‘Climax’ has parallels taken from Silk Smitha’s life adds Kumar who has made over 40 plus film, but would rather leave it to viewers to decide on which is the real story.
On pinning down Sana Khan for the lead role, he explains that while searching for the right face, he was not looking for an actor who would just reveal her body, but for an adept performer too.
“Sana was marvellous and cooperated well. She lived her character,” he says.
‘Climax’ releases on April 19 in Kerala. The Tamil version of the film, called ‘Nadigaiyin Diary’, will hit screens later this month.
