Next stop, wonderland!

Noted for her professionalism, a trait she insists few of her contemporaries can boast of, Urmila says there have been experiences at work when things haven8217;t gone all hunky-dory. quot;But I just can8217;t give up on a film,quot; she insists. quot;I get a lot of feedback from the audience, and I can8217;t let them down. So I just go on giving my best despite whatever else is going on around me.quot; She admits however, that she does suffer from mood-swings occasionally. quot;But I8217;m a typical Aquarian, and I never lose my patience. My moods don8217;t affect my work,quot; she claims.

Offering you a plateful of aloo poha and boondi ladoo while she opts for a chai for herself, the star performer says she has had to struggle harder than a lot of others. quot;Whatever I have achieved has been without the support of the so-called big film-makers,quot; she announces. Mention Ramgopal Varma8217;s fierce loyalty towards her, and she has a reply ready. quot;Has there ever been a time when he8217;s picked me for a role that I haven8217;t suited?quot; she asks. quot;And don8217;t forget that I wasn8217;t his first choice for the role in Satya either,quot; she adds. On the contrary, Urmila says she has been swimming against the current. quot;After Rangeela when I was labelled a sex symbol, I could have played those kind of roles to capitalise on that image, but I chose a film like Judaai which shattered that hot image that I had acquired,quot; she says. quot;I have taken risks consistently.quot;

Before you are able to toss her another question, she wants to address this whole link-up with Varma. quot;I would equate my relationship with Ramu to the one that Govinda and David Dhawan share,quot; she says. quot;They are an actor and a director who have done good work together, and one who share a good rapport.quot; But, as the actress puts it, quot;they are fortunate that they are both males, and therefore have escaped being linked together.quot; For her own part, Urmila says, quot;I have had to suffer the constant embarrassment of being romantically linked to a man I share only a professional relationship with.quot;

Even as her mother joins us in the room, and once again offers you those ladoos, Urmila admits she has come a long way since her fledgling days. quot;I do think I8217;ve grown considerably as an actress,quot; she says. quot;I understand situations better, and I can react more spontaneously now,quot; she adds. But, she makes it a point to mention, that she has kept away from involving herself too closely with the broader film-making process. quot;I don8217;t take interest in technical details which don8217;t concern me,quot; she says. quot;If I were focussing more on camera angles and lighting, it would take the whole beauty of the moment away,quot; she says.