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Bollywood elites don't like mingling with her, others make fun
of her, but the popularity of bold and 'bindaas' Rakhi Sawant is
growing by leaps and bounds. Post Sony TV's "Bigg Boss", she
managed to appear on Karan Johar's swish chat show "Koffee with
Karan" and now she is doing an item number in Rakesh Roshan's
"Krazy 4". "Look at my good fortune, I've been signed by Rakesh
Roshanji to do an item song in 'Krazy 4'. I had tears in my eyes
when Rakesh Roshanji called," said Rakhi, who was seen in bit roles
in "Chura Liya Hai Tumne" and "Mumbai Express".
Commenting upon the discrimination she faces in filmdom, Rakhi
told IANS: "Earlier, I didn't get any respect from within the film
industry. Now even if I do get respect it is done in a very
grudging way. I'm considered a bechari.
"The heroines are specially reluctant to acknowledge my stardom.
Yeah, some like Rani Mukerji, Bipasha Basu and Ayesha Takia have
been kind. On the whole, I'm not given the respect I deserve."
She gives credit to the media and her hard work for her newfound
fame in showbiz.
"I'm the darling of the media. I'm media-made. They felt I spoke
my heart, that I was bindaas. The media shows both my good and bad
deeds. Somewhere they feel I've got my act right."
Excerpts:
Q: How does it feel to be Rakhi Sawant?
A: Shall I tell you something? I'm doing dance competition "Nach
Baliye 3" with my boyfriend Abhishek. Today he's not as well-known
as I am. Just like John Abraham and Bipasha Basu earlier. It's
said John got a lot of roles because of Bipasha. I want Abhishek to
become a star. I'm working on it.
Q: How's the experience of participating in another contest?
A: Every time I enter the sets, the other contestants say they want
their money back and drop out. They feel if I'm participating with
my boyfriend, they don't stand a chance. Everyone feels I'm going
to win for sure. I feel good about winning. But do I want to win at
the cost of offending others? Am I overconfident or are the other
girls around me insecure?
Q: Maybe they grudge you your success?
A: Do they know how hard I work? I'm rehearsing day and night for
"Nach Baliye" and look at my good fortune. Do you know I've been
signed by Rakesh Roshanji to do an item song in "Krazy 4"? I had
tears my eyes when Rakesh Roshanji called. I wept in front of god,
wondering what kind of a miracle this is.
Q: But Rakesh Roshan has only given you an item song?
A: So what? It's a big banner.
Q: Did you ever dream of being mobbed like a 22-carat star?
A: Yes, I did. I always knew there was something very special about
me. I struggled for eight years to get where I am today.
Q: Your stardom is a freak case.
A: You can say that again. Lots of strugglers and aspirants get
tired and give up. But I kept at it. I started by doing item songs
and bit roles. I chose to do small roles instead of sitting at
home. I wasn't a star-daughter with a producer-father willing to
gamble tens of millions on me. Nobody big came to sign me at the
start. Nobody knew me.
Q: Are the heroines nice to you?
A: The heroines are especially reluctant to acknowledge my stardom.
Yeah, some like Rani Mukerji, Bipasha and Ayesha Takia have been
kind. Shilpa Shetty loves me like anything. When she came to do a
show for television, she came to my set and sat there and watched
me dance. She told me she was encouraged to go on "Big Brother"
after watching me on "Bigg Boss". But on the whole I'm not given
the respect I deserve.
Q: For the promotional campaign of your film "Buddha Mar Gaya", you
were mobbed the most, above stalwarts like Om Puri and Anupam Kher.
Do you feel vindicated?
A: If that's true, then I'm thankful to god. I'm the darling of
the media. I'm media-made. They felt I spoke my heart, that I was
bindaas. The media shows both my good and bad deeds. Somewhere they
feel I've got my act right.
Q: Today your popularity equals that of any big star.
A: True. Earlier I didn't get any respect from within the film
industry. Now even if I do get respect it is done in a very
grudging way. I'm considered a bechari. I'm a self-made girl. I
wanted to be successful on my own terms, no matter how bindaas and
bold I had to be to achieve this. In this industry no one gives you
bread for nothing. One has to earn it.
By Subhash K. Jha
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