Mallika Sherawat shares her personal & professional life with 'DNA'

Mallika Sherawat dropped by at the DNA office in Mumbai and chatted up on a variety of topics from Bollywood, Hollywood to Obama going gaga over her.

You do so many item numbers…                              They gave me so much money! A girl has to make a living no!!

You once said that you have a superiority complex. Are you happy with that?
Don’t you think women are superior to men? Then what did I say wrong!

You have got an honorary citizenship from LA — the mayor is going gaga over you…?
Now Obama is also going gaga over me!

So, who’s the Osama in your life?
Right now, nobody. There’s no Osama in my  life.

Now that you spend so much of your time in LA, have you forgotten India?
Impossible. I can never forget India. I am who I am because of India. When I go to LA, I really say it so proudly that ‘billion Indians are behind me’. Whether it’s the truth or not.  In fact I have always used this line — I know it may sound corny —that you can take me out of India but you can never take India out of me. And it’s really the truth.

You’re doing one more film in Hollywood?
I just finished shooting Love Barack. And yes there’s one more. Can’t reveal much though…contractually bound.

Heard there are big names?
What bigger name than Obama now! By the way, he said give my love to Bollywood!

What’s the most outrageous thing you have ever done?
Ran away from home. Came to Mumbai. Stole my grandma’s jewellery to finance my trip.  What could be more outrageous than that?

Was it easy to let it go?
It was tough. I still remember it was a pair of beautiful earrings I had got from my naani. Because I come from such a traditional family you know, my father thinks I’m like a big black spot on the family’s name. You know traditional Jat families believe that women should sit at home.

How old were you ran away from home?
Never ask an actor her age.

So would you call yourself a rebel?
For sure, yes

Are you a feminist?
No not a hardcore feminist. I do believe that people should have a certain dignity for women. It’s very close to my heart because I come from a state which has the highest number of female foeticides. And I am outraged by that. I picked up the phone and I called the CM. I spoke to him personally and told him that I want you to do something about it. This was the last time I was here. They don’t give a damn! I mean I repeated calls but I had no response. In fact I even took this matter up when I met the UN head Ban Ki-moon. The UN doesn’t even know that this kind of a problem exists in Haryana.

What do you eat?
I’m a vegan. So I eat what a cow eats. Ghaas phoos...
 
What prompted you to go Vegan?
I’ve always been a vegetarian. I went a step further with the vegan thing because dairy products are not healthy.
 

The whole image that you throw a lot of tantrums...
None of my producers or directors have ever had problems with me. Most of them have made money on my films. No producer has ever had a loss because of me reporting late on the sets or the shoot being delayed because of me. Even my American producers — none of them have had a problem with me. So I don’t know where does this come from. I have always been on time. In fact Mani Ratnam (director) commended me on my punctuality while we were shooting for Maiya Maiya in Guru.

How does Bollywood treat its women?
How do you think Bollywood treats its women, tell me honestly. How many good parts are written for women in Bollywood? That should answer your question.

So many women are now turning producers. Your brother is also a producer…
For Hisss, Itne Joote pade uspe (laughs).

It was your brother’s production?
Yeah, it’s true. I don’t understand it had the highest TRPS on TV. None of my movies have lost money, according to the producers.

You think it could have been marketed in a better way?
I felt it was a great amalgamation. Bollywood is a great subject for the Hollywood guys. I thought it was a great set up. I don’t know why was there so much outrage about the movie. I dunno… what did you guys think? Has anyone seen it?
Jennifer Lynch (director) was suffering from chronic back pain. And yeah when you say ‘different’ we all know it means ‘shit’ (laughs). These two words ‘different’ and ‘interesting’, we always use them to escape. But see, it was an experiment. Now sometimes experiments go right, sometimes they go wrong. But the idea is to go on experimenting.

Heard that the make up took hours...
Yeah, I couldn’t even pee. It was 14 hours.

How badly does it take a toll on you when you put in so much and it doesn’t have the impact that you were expecting?
Maybe in India it did not have a strong impact, but abroad it was much appreciated. So I was happy. And I guess everything has its own destiny. The West loved the Indian mythology. And when we educated them about the sea-snake and ichhadhaari nagin… they did not even know something like this exists. You know it’s like a love affair — some days it’s good, some days bad.
 
You have done a lot of bold scenes. How do you handle sleazy co stars?
What is your definition of bold scenes? (laughs).

Maybe the scene in Hisss, where actor Irrfan Khan is shown rescuing you from the net and seems to be actually touching you...
Oh that was done by a body double.

Are there co-stars who really act sleazy?
I have never had any so far. And I think Indian men are really chivalrous and real gentlemen. They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable

Jackie Chan?
Yeah, even he was like that.

You have been associated with some of the hottest men…
Dukhti rag pe haat mat lagao (laughs).
 
Did you feel any special connection with any of them?
Now I dunno in what form this will go into the newspaper (laughs). I have met some very interesting guys. This time in Cannes, I met Paul Allen, the Microsoft guy. He invited us to party on his yacht. He personally gave me a tour of his boat (I have a video of it, which I will put  up on Twitter) and he invited my whole entourage on to the submarine. He has a submarine in his yacht! Can you believe that?! And then I said I’d want to tour the submarine. He said ‘we’re not allowed to take the submarine out in France, but I’ll be taking it to Italy and you’re most welcome’. So yeah, he really made an impression on me.

Another one who left an impression on me was Emir Kusturica, the Serbian director. He has won the Palme d’Or two times. He made that movie Underground, which is one of my favourites. Sean Penn was also there.
 
Heard you had a really good time with him in LA?
Yeah, they are all very curious about Bollywood. Now don’t say that Mallika is showing off or something, but they were all there at the party. In fact the Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert, he was asking me so much about Bollywood.

Are you planning to invite him over to Mumbai?
I’d really like to and hold a great reception for them to showcase the country to them. But I thought winters would be the right time, ’coz I don’t want them to come in the rains. I want to show them Indian hospitality.
 
How was Perez Hilton?
I’ve never met Paris Hilton.

No, Perez Hilton...
Perez was great, he was nice. He wasn’t that bitchy. I think he has mellowed down now. When I met him he was wearing this ‘Om’ T-shirt and he was very zen. He’s very close to Lady Gaga.
 
Have you gone back home?
No, I haven’t. I don’t think I will be welcome there.

Are you in touch with anybody?
Yeah with my mom and people from my mom’s side of the family like maasis and all… Somehow they are always more forgiving.
 
We read somewhere that you have a child..
No.

It was in the news that your people back home miss you...
Oh, that is news to me. It’s nice to hear that.

Have you made an attempt to get in touch?
You know I’m like a rebel in their eyes and I have gone against the system for women there.
Women don’t get opportunities to leave their houses there. Right after Murder had released, I had made a statement that women are treated like cattle in Haryana. There was such an outcry that how can she make a statement like that. But it’s the truth!

Name one actress in Bollywood history who’s from Haryana and has made it big? Bollywood is over 100 years old. Name one actress? It’s not possible.

You know it’s their attitude towards women. I remember having read this article which spoke about how India is progressing on several levels and achieving so much,  but when it comes to women, it hasn’t changed.
 
So are you an inspiration for many?
I get a lot of fan mails from small town girls. Girls from Lucknow writing to me ‘I’m so glad you did it’. That really inspires me.

You are already working for many causes...
Yes. In fact, when I go back, I have a meeting with the Bill  Gates Foundation. I want to talk to them about the female cause. Day before there was a report that eight million female foetuses were killed in India. It’s barbaric, it’s insane. And Haryana tops the list!
 
We’ve heard you go to bed quite early...
Yeah, nine or 10 maximum.

So you don’t go partying?
Do you see me at any party?

So how did you manage in Cannes?
It is a torture for me, because in Cannes your whole cycle changes. You sleep till 12 noon and you party till three in the morning. My producers have to push me. It’s the same when you have to do night shifts in Bollywood.

So you are not a party person?
No
 
Do you read DNA After Hrs?
Yes, I do. I think it’s interesting. I find it more authentic and less gossipy than the other papers. This is one paper where I think you stick to the original story. I love the fact that you don’t try to over sensationalise. I love it.

You still haven’t answered questions about your love life...
You think if I found someone I’ll be able to hide it? There are a lot of suitors — some of them Oscar winners, not nominees, but Oscar winners.

Tell us
Two of them are Oscar winners.