11 May,2011 09:52 AM IST | | Urmimala Banerjee
We all know that Mallika Sherawat loves hitting the headlines. She also digs rubbing people the wrong way. But the Mallika we see now, in her flashy pink ghagra choli in the bright lights is older and wiser.
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This simple girl from Haryana who has just met the President of United States talks about her journey from Haryana to Hollywood:
Prez on
Meeting Barack Obama was a very special moment for me. He was very humble and gracious. My film Politics of Love, stars one of his favourite actresses Ruby Dee, who plays my grandmom. When I entered the White House, I felt very proud of myself. As a simple girl from Haryana, I always dreamt of creating my own identity. I can say that I've made that happen (smiles). The journey's been very tough, but an extremely fulfilling one.u00a0
Kiss and yell
When I did films like Khwaaish and Murder, I received a lot of criticism from other actresses. When I attended events, I would overhear them making snide remarks about me. They commented on my dressing and my language. No leading lady kissed on-screen or do intimate scenes at the time. But today, almost 90 per cent of them are smooching or doing bedroom scenes.
The hypocrisy is simply disgusting. It upsets me when I see people from the industry trying to demean outsiders. It seems like they don't want to see people from humble backgrounds succeed. No one said a nice word about my being at the Oscars. But that has only made my resolve to succeed stronger and stronger. Hollywood is a far cry from Bollywood where nepotism rules the roost. That's why our growth is much slower than theirs.
Small town, big dreams
Look at Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a small town boy from Ranchi who is the toast of the nation. When I saw my fellow Haryanvis perform well at the Commonwealth Games, I felt so happy for them (smiles). It's high-time that people accepted that smalltown India is hungry for fame and success.
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My driving force has been ambition and in the US people find that very sexy. In India, we tend to be a little hypocritical about ambition. When a man says that he's ambitious, it's regarded as a strength, whereas if a woman says the same, she's immediately thought of as being cold, self-centered with scant regard for family values.
