Watching Sushmita Sen in Filhaal, you couldn't help but think: At last, a role that does this actress justice.

In Filhaal, Sushmita doesn't 'play' the mercurial sunshine girl Sia. She merges with her character and takes the role beyond 'acting' or 'performing'. As director Meghna Gulzar's father, poet-director Gulzar puts it, "Sushmita makes it seem so effortless. She comes on screen, does her scene. And before you can hold on to her beautiful presence she's gone"

She had only one request to make with director David Dhawan: "Let her spit venom at me, let her call me Tu. But when I reply, let me say Aap."

Perhaps not realising the gravity of the one seemingly casual word, Dhawan agreed.

The Aap lent so much dignity to the 'other woman's character. That dignity was perhaps one of the factors that had Sushmita winning awards for her role at every popular awards ceremony.

Then, Ramgopal Varma offered Sushmita the role of Fardeen Khan's wife in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya. Sushmita didn't care about Urmila's author-backed role. She had dealt with it in her earlier films. But she had only one problem: "Ramu, can anyone believe that Urmila, who is so much shorter than me could thrash me in the climax?"

And that's how Sonali Kulkarni entered the picture.

A prominent young star in Mumbai asked me the other day: "Why has Aishwarya Rai raced ahead of Sushmita Sen?"

Good question. For those who have watched the two lovely ladies, the process of getting to the top seems rather inexplicable when we see Sushmita struggling to make sense in films like Biwi No 1 and Sirf Tum. Her roles in both were sketchy, improbable and stereotyped.

As she told me, Sushmita accepts every role as a challenge and tries to give a hundred per cent to each. So does the former Miss World Aishwarya Rai. The difference is Aishwarya has so much more space: Whether it is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, the forthcoming Devdas or Subhash Ghai's Taal.

Also Read: How well do you know Sush? Take our Quiz

Ever since she gave up the Miss Universe crown to join films Sushmita has been struggling against odds: Her open book demeanour for one. Sushmita calls a spade a spade. Or a stupid situation in a film a stupid situation. Her forthright personality didn't exactly endear her to the filmmakers in the indstry.

Says a filmmaker who wants to remake Martin Scorcese's Casino or Sidney Lumet's Gloria with Sushmita in Sharon Stone's part: "It is a classic reprise of the Hema Malini-Zeenat Aman race to the 'finesse' line in the 1970s. While Hema was the wholesome, doe-eyed beauty whom every male in the audience wanted to take home to Mama, Zeenat Aman was the sensuous creature whom Mama would be uncomfortable with because Papa would be completely charmed."

There is more than a whiff of Zeenat in Sushmita's personality, just as there is a hint of Hema in Aishwarya. Only, Sushmita is a far better actress than Zeenat ever was. She might not sizzle as fluently as Aishwarya in her dance movements but Sushmita caresses the camera, makes it her own and occupies screen space as though she always belonged there.

Her song and dance in Fiza (which incidentally, came to Sushmita after it was turned down by several other leading ladies), is not just an item. It is a statement on womanhood and femininity. Sushmita's fluid body movements and facial exppressions echo Marilyn Monroe and yes, Sharon Stone.

She is our first truly cosmopolitan Hindi film heroine since Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi and Tina Munim. Put her in false melodramatic situations with eyelashes to match and she withdraws into a sultry corner. But place her in a mast mahaul and Sushmita blossoms like a desert flower.

What moved Sushmita was the fact that debutant director Meghna Gulzar reposed tremendous faith in the actress by giving her a difficult role. Sushmita was the least bothered about who her costar was (singer Palash Sen. While Aishwarya makes sure she is cast only with the Shah Rukh Khans and Hrithik Roshans of show world, that, too, in chunky parts, Sushmita's costars have ranged from Mukul Dev in Dastak to Sanjay Kapoor in Sirf Tum to Arjun Rampal in Aankhen.

As a woman and actress, Sushmita Sen is completely unintimidated. Seldom have I come across a performer who is so comfortable with the space she occupies. Among the actresses who may tell you they are not bothered with extraneous details of a project like songs, costume and costar, only Sushmita means it. She proved it in Goldie Behl's Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai, where she made space for herself in a small role.

Besides being unconventional in her attitude to life, love and work, Susmita is also tall. Very tall. And absolutely unwilling to slouch when performing with the the pinups boys of tinseltown. Unlike Tabu, Sushmita proudly got into her highest heels and jived to Sona sona mera sona with Salman Khan in Biwi No 1 and with the podgy Govinda in Kyunki Main Jhooth Nahin Bolta.

Nothing keeps her off the number 1 slot where other Bengali actresses --- Sharmila Tagore, Raakhee and Jaya Bachchan --- reigned even when the Mumbai–Chennai brigade led by Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman and Mumtaz ruled the roost.

If only Sushmita were as career-driven as Aishwarya Rai or even Rani Mukherji. Both these girls go for the kill. They live, eat, breathe and revel in life in front of the camera. Everything else comes later for them.

Sushmita's priorities are different. Cinema turns her on, sure. So does a whole lot of other things. She readily admits that the only undying passion in her life is her two-year-old bundle of joy Renee, who has just begun to utter monosyllabic words like Mama.

"I could die tomorrow and I would be fulfilled," she sighs. Sushmita works only one shift a day. There is no extending that by even an hour. "That is my baby's time and no one eats into it," she says with steely determination.

This woman means business. Mumbai's prominent hotelier Sanjay Narang at her side or no, marriage can wait. Baby and career, in that order, are her top priorities now.

Sushmita now has two releases lined up next month: Pankaj Parasher's Tumko Na Bhool Payenge has her opposite her Biwi No 1 leading man Salman Khan. Sushmita says, "It was basically a guest appearance that got extended as the film progressed. Watch out for me in Aankhen."


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