The importance of being Esha Deol Revealed in Na Tum Jaano Na Hum.

Kshama Rao

She is only one film old. Esha Deol's debut film Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche, starring Aftab Shivdasani and Sanjay Kapoor, bombed at the box-office. It doesn't seem to have diminished her confidence.

Daughter of yesteryear stars Hema Malini and Dharmendra, Esha has moved on. Not only is she upbeat about her second release Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, starring Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan, releasing Friday, May 10, she is also excited about the other films in her kitty.

We caught up with Esha on the sets of Kya Pyar Karoge Mujhse, a romantic thriller starring Tusshar Kapoor and newcomer Anita. Esha sits with a college friend who can't seem to stop giggling as she watches her filmstar friend give interviews, pose for pictures and behave like a true Hindi cinema heroine.

Excerpts from an interview:

Are you at all nervous about your next release Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, considering your debut film didn't do well?

No, not at all. I am happy it is releasing now. Yes, the experience was as good as my first film because I had started shooting for both simultaneously. I have some beautiful memories about Na Tum Jaano Na Hum. The entire unit was fun.

Na Tum Jaano Na Hum is like my younger sister. If something happens to it, I would be very sad. Let's hope the audience likes it.

You worked with Hrithik Roshan in just your second film. Most people would consider that lucky...

Well, he has achieved so much in such a short time. With me, he was quite different. He would calm me down all the time --- when i was angry about something, for example. He would guide me how to dance and stuff, since there is a lot of jiving in the film. He is a fabulous dancer, so he would just move me around. I didn't have to do a thing.

What do you think went wrong with Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche?

*smiles* I guess the audience didn't identify with my character. They failed to understand that something that happened to her could happen to them, too. Some felt I played a character older than me. But I enjoyed working for that film, and learnt from it. So I don't think it is fair to say that I should not have played an older girl.

I am here to act. And I want to do all kinds of roles.

Nothing really affects me, though. I am a strong person. My parents always told me that I should enjoy my work. Hits and and flops are part of the game.

Are you comfortable with the filmi setup now?

*smiles* Yes. Earlier I remember I used to rattofy [mug] my lines --- my Hindi was so bad. But now I have learnt to enjoy the process instead of getting all worked up.

Tell us about Kya Pyar Karoge Mujhse.

Esha, my character, is this hot thing in college. She knows she can set hearts aflutter, but doesn't let the attention go to her head. The film is a romantic thriller and is set in two timeframes.

Because Esha's group meets three years later. During this time, she loses something very precious to her. When she does come face -to-face with it, she is helpless. Her past keeps haunting her.

The film is not based on just one or two characters. It's an interesting story.

Isn't that reminiscent of Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche, in which you were burying skeletons?

No. I played a girl who had a traumatic marriage and is therefore scared to fall in love. This film, on the other hand, is a murder mystery. The two are different. I can't reveal more --- watch it yourself.

You seem to share a good rapport with Tusshar Kapoor.

We are like two kids --- constantly fighting and fooling around. We are extremely protective about each other. Though he is more hard-working than I am. Sometimes I think his dedication might just rub off on me, too. He has no hangups at all. So it is easy to work with him. When two people hit it off offscreen, it shows on screen.

Your mother and Tusshar's father Jeetendra were once considered a hit pair. Do you hope to recreate that magic, too?

Honestly, I haven't seen too many films of my mom with his dad. Tusshar keeps watching them, though. You should ask him this question. All I hope is the audience accepts us. Whether we go on to become a hit pair like our parents, I can't say.

Two of your three directors, Arjun Sablok (Na Tum Jaano Na Hum) and Anurag Basu (Kya Pyar Karoge Mujhse) are debutants, while Sanjay Chhel (Kya Dil Ne Kahaa) is one film old. What were your working experiences with them?

Arjun is very cool, very prim and propah. But he thinks like the 'now' generation --- that makes it easy to relate with him. The film has shaped just the way he narrated it to me. But he kept making me do so many retakes. He just wouldn't let me go until I had essayed what he had in mind. But I am sure all that has paid off in the final product.

Sanjay Chhel is fun. Of all the films I am doing, his is a truly, typical Hindi masala flick. I think I became very filmi after working in this film --- it changed me! But we had a ball making it.

I play this very talkative girl in love with this guy. While I am all for love and marriage, Tusshar's character doesn't believe in marriage and suggests that we just live in. I don't give in --- I would rather not continue to see a man who cannot promise marriage to me. I think that role is probably closest to what I am in real life.

As for Anurag, he is so engrossed in his work, so possessed that he sometimes forgets to say, 'Action'. *laughs* He has worked in thrillers on television and is profficient. Since the film is a romantic thriller, I know he will do justice to it as well.

Oh, and he didn't ask for too many takes! He just let me be.

How do your friends react to your star status?

*points to her friend* Ask her. She thinks it is weird to see me all made up giving interviews to the press, posing for pictures.

I agree --- that is not me. My sister (Ahana) does the funniest thing, though. Whenever we are driving around, the minute she spots any of my posters, she stops the car, rolls down the window and yells, "Esha Deol! Hey, that's Esha Deol!"

I get so mortified, I just don't know what to do. She does it all the time to me.

What next?

There is one more film with the Na Tum Jaano Na Hum makers with director Sangeeth Sivan, and another with Sanjay Khan's son, Zaheed Khan. The rest, well... it's too early to say!

India News Feature Service