It’s not that Paoli Dam is shedding clothes just to make her entry into Bollywood remarkable. The actress, who left her inhibitions in a different bag, has done it whenever a film required her to wear the ‘bold’ hat. And now, debuting in Vivek Agnihotri’s Hate Story, Paoli will be seen in a rather audacious avatar, which has already got people to sit up and take notice all thanks to the film posters.
An established actress in Kolkata, Paoli has played many roles and worked with a serious lineup of talented filmmakers from Bengal. Speaking of her venture into the Hindi film industry, she says, “Vikram (Bhatt, producer) called me on April 1 last year. He had seen some of my previous works and offered me the role of Kaavya. I met Vikram and Vivek a couple of times since then,” adding, “Looking back, I’m glad it wasn’t an April Fools’ joke.” As the promos reveal, Paoli needed to go the extra bit. “I used to work out thrice a day, went for a makeover, insisted on talking in Hindi with everyone on the set and otherwise. I’ve lived Kaavya’s journey every bit,” she confesses, “I’m proud of the way I look it’s hot, bold, sensuous without any vulgarity; there’s a certain air of dignity and power in the characterisation.”
One of Paoli’s earlier films has been an international venture by Italian director Italo Spinelli, Choli Ke Peeche, which also required her to shed clothes. Later, she also acted in a Bengali film, Chatrak that had some very explicit scenes. In fact that film had her become the centre of raging controversy for a long time. But in all honestly, Paoli embraces her life at work without second thoughts. “I’ve never had any inhibitions as a performer. Kaavya is a dynamic character with lots of shades because the story traces how and why a simple girl changes to become another person.”
Ironically, being the bold one that she is, Paoli is quite jittery about her Bollywood debut. “That film industry is a brand by itself; it represents Indian films nationally and internationally. As for me, like every actor that wants to grow, I had reached a stage where I had to ask myself ‘what next?’ This ‘what next’ came just at the right time,” quips Paoli. For an actor who’s used to the constant media glare and a strong support system back home, shooting for Hate Story has been quite an experience. “I was living alone, far from my comfort zone but I’m glad I did it. I refused seven Bengali films because for it. Probably, it’s a chance I’ve taken but if not now, then when?” she signs off.
