Motherhood is the best role

Mahima Chaudhary Not many get such a rollicking start to their career as Mahima Chaudhary got with Pardes. But somehow the svelte lady couldn’t capitalise on the success that she garnered. Thankfully she has yet managed to work with some of the top directors of the industry including Subhash Ghai, Rajkumar Santoshi, Tanuja Chandra, etc. A yummy mummy now, Mahima will once again be seen on the silver screen after a long hiatus in Tanuja Chandra’s first English film Hope and a Little Sugar, where she plays a lead role. In an exclusive chat with KT, Mahima talks about her new film, motherhood and lots more. Talking about her new release, Mahima says excitedly, “I play a Sikh girl Saloni, who runs an Indian sweet shop in Manhattan and sells flowers too. Saloni is a person who believes that hope and a little sugar can take care of everything. Tragedy strikes her family and her husband dies in the 9/11 attack. Later she comes close to a Muslim boy.” Mahima, who did another film with Tanuja a few years back, Film Star, which did not set the cash registers ringing, is confident about being second time lucky. “Tanuja is an extremely sensitive director and she analyses things very well while making a movie. And I think she has done an excellent job with this film,” says Mahima firmly. In the meanwhile, marriage and motherhood have kept Mahima thoroughly busy. “I got so busy with my personal life that I didn’t get a chance to do any work,” smiles Mahima as she glows with the thrill of taking care of her little daughter. And how has motherhood been, we ask her? “Oh, I think motherhood is the best role that I’m playing. With my daughter, everyday is a high point for me. It’s demanding, but at the same time it’s rewarding as well,” says the vivacious actor. Seeing the rate at which actors are taking to direction, we wonder if she has ever spared a thought towards going behind the camera? “No,” comes a quick reply as she adds, “I like to be directed, I don’t want to direct.” But what has Mahima excited these days is the fat pay cheques that even actresses in Bollywood are commanding. “It’s encouraging to see that actresses these days are getting so much money. They are an integral part of the film industry and they deserve it,” avers she, adding, “I wish this trend should have come earlier when I started my career.”