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Simple, spontaneous and an immensely talented actress, Seema Biswas is Bollywood’s most independent spirit

Not the cliched Marathi-style, chewing pan lady cop: That’s for Ram Gopal Varma’s next film, ‘Ek Hasina Thi’. It’s a very grey character, and initially you cannot make out if she’s good or bad. I’ve made her more quiet, controlled, very ordinary. And I’m also playing a very interesting role in Kaizad Gustad’s ‘Boom’ — of a very ordinary caretaker of three models, who’s much more than what she shows.

People have this image of me, of aggressive and melodramatic performances: But ever since my childhood, I loved doing very realistic performances, very subtle performances. In fact when I was doing theatre at NSD, I always thought of myself as a complete flop stage-actress because I felt I was never able to be realistic enough.

Just after playing Phoolan Devi, when I came to Mumbai for the first time, some actors on sets would talk to me with all these ‘ma-bhen’ ‘gaalis’: Initially, on the sets, people used to wonder why I’m so quiet. Then they started thinking I’m proud. But the truth is I’m basically a very shy person.

Talent vs sex appeal: Bollywood is entertainment, it is show business after all, so sex appeal is important and just because I don’t have that I can’t say it’s not needed. But talent can run for a long time, but sex appeal is very short-lived.

Acting creeping in from reel to real life: If I perform really really badly, then it happens. I keep thinking, I could have done this scene another way. It keeps going on in my mind. I feel film is a director’s medium, whereas theatre is an actor’s medium: Because with every moment, it is my responsibility as an actor to add into it. That’s why as an actress, I feel theatre is the best medium to polish yourself.

Making big bucks: I only need the basic things — a house, a car, and a basic amount of money for saving and spending. And if I can also send some to my relatives, then that is enough money for me.

Love is very important in life, one cannot deny or ignore that: At the same time, you should know the real meaning of love — it should not be just because you are lonely or alone, or need someone to give you money. That is not love. I’m not married. And I’m not seeing anyone. If I like someone, I will never show it. When I do come across somebody who is sensitive and begin to go ahead, a little later I find that he’s very different from me — either too fun-loving or a womaniser.

Male hotties in Bollywood: No doubt about it, Amitabh Bachchan! And Dilip Kumar and Ajay Devgan. In this field you have to be a master of everything: Hard work counts a lot. No doubt, publicity is also important, but in the face of competition, you have to be very smart because the audience is even smarter. You have to be a genuine performer.

Seema in the mirror: A very ordinary, genuine person, who loves plants, watching movies, going to the market, travelling by train. I can never mix up Seema the actress and Seema the person.


(Seema Biswas spoke to Farhad J. Dadyburjor)