Leap of Faith

26 year old Madhuri Pandey is your quintessential girl next door. Her bubbly laughter and sing-song voice have made her a darling of millions of women who religiously follow desi soap operas. But Madhuri is far cry from the characters she has played over the last four years. She settles down for our interview in a pair of jeans and a black and white check shirt that is a polar opposite of her onscreen avatars. 

"I hate those 10 kg ghagras and the dangling earrings. My ears used to bleed and I once gave a take with my jhumka taped to my ears!" 

Madhuri is perfectly secure with her looks and had no qualms meeting us without make up. While she is opposed to cosmetic surgery, she is honest enough to admit that she doesn't quite like her nose, "Sometimes I think it is too big," she says, her eyes comically looking at her nose. That's when you wonder if this TV diva is actually nothing but a child-woman. 

She says acting happened to her by chance. Madhuri comes from a family of doctors and academics from North India and was studying for a degree in Software Engineering in Delhi when she and her sister Anjali started modelling, just for the lark. But destiny had other things in store for Madhuri. The stylish sisters moved to Mumbai when Anjali won a talent hunt. 

Madhuri decided to pursue a career in music and started performing with other singers and artists. That's when she got noticed by casting directors and offers for TV shows started pouring in. Always eager to take up new adventures, Madhuri decided to give it a shot. She soon became a darling of the viewers for her roles in Bhabhi, Dahej, Ladli and many other shows. But there was something missing. 

“Music is my passion. I did not come to Mumbai to become an actor. I came here to follow my dreams." That was when Madhuri decided to quit TV at the peak of her career and plunged headlong into music. She is quite active on the events and live music scene. She is also seen performing stand-up comedy. "It hasn't been easy. There is a lot of competition. There is also pressure from my family who would like to see me settle down. This is my make or break year", she states matter-of-factly. 

We quizzed her about Mr. Right and Maduri says she is looking for an uncomplicated man who would understand and respect the demands of her profession. "I'm a self made woman who is open to taking risks. I have been independent so far and don't like being controlled or caged. My line of work involves odd hours. My man has to accept that." 

She accepts that it is probably her straight forward-ness and fierce independence that keeps most men away. "While some get intimidated by my success, others find it unacceptable that I like taking my own decisions and live on my own terms. But my independence is not-negotiable", she asserts. "I find it hilarious that so many men expect me to be docile and covered from head to toe like my onscreen characters. Off camera I have a mind of my own and I wear what I please. If I can respect women who like wearing sarees, why can't they respect a woman who wears cocktail dresses. I have a certain lifestyle, I do party a lot with my friends. I carry myself with a lot of dignity." 

Well, we will certainly vouch for Madhuri's style quotient as the girl hardly ever has a fashion faux pas. "I know what works for me and dress accordingly. I love my pastel one piece dresses, I love my LBDs, I like single statement pieces when it comes to jewellery rather than cluttering up my look with too many unsightly accessories." Madhuri also swears by plunging necklines, but warns "Wear it only if you have the confidence to carry it off, otherwise it comes across as cheap." 

Madhuri is currently taking life a day at a time, enjoying her transition from actor to full-time singer. She claims this is the best time to get a break in her chosen field. Her years in similar industries have helped and she is taken seriously. "Being an extrovert helps. I'm not shy and I always speak my mind, but I'm also conscious of the fact that my every move is being watched closely." She says she is very image conscious and works hard to appear composed even in the most emotionally turbulent situations. “This is a price driven industry and people love to discourage you, find the smallest fault, just so they can force you to reduce your price. It is important to act professional and stay focused in such situations, lest you get branded as a cry baby or a whiner." 


Well, we like that she is grounded, goal oriented and honest. Here's to young women like Madhuri Pandey who are not afraid of taking a huge career risk to fulfil their dreams.

Jawaani ki Nishaani

A few days ago... as I waited along the thickly canopied rocky road that runs through the forest I live in, hoping to hijack an unsuspecting rickshaw that may have accidentally lost its way, I saw another young woman doing the exact same thing. Our eyes met and we exchanged smiles like old co-conspirators. She too had missed the hourly bus that connects the woods to the city and neither of us was driving anytime soon. My car was in the garage for servicing and her dad had taken their's earlier in the day.

Suddenly there was a faint hum... a mechanical hum that grew louder and then a little black and yellow three wheeled metal chariot of joy appeared. My co-conspirator and I were thrilled to find that there were no passengers in it and the driver was thrilled to find passengers in the middle of a forest. We hopped in excitedly and asked to be taken to the railway station. She said, she would get off mid-way. We exchanged names, floor and appartment numbers and then she said something that gave me a minor coronary...

"Kaunse college mein padhti hain aap?", she asked me with a genuine look of curiosity in her eyes.

"Main college mein padhti nahi, padhaati hoon", I replied... thorughly relishing my Santoor Sabun moment.

"What?", she asked genuinely shocked.

"Haan. I teach Journalism in four different colleges, plus I have my own PR business. But I must say... you made my day!" I thanked her.

"Really?", she asked again looking genuinely incredulous.

"Yes dear... I'm almost 30... I finished college more than 10 years ago!", I said wondering what made her think I was still in college. As if she read my mind, she replied, "Aap kafi slim ho. Plus jeans, T-shirt, cap aur back-pack wala get up dekh ke laga college ja rahe ho..."

I thanked my high protien, zero carb, roughage rich diet for my 26 inch waistline and told her that I was actually going to college to hold a lecture on conflict journalism. Her eyes narrowed the way it happens with people when they try to place where they have seen someone. I pointed to my cap that gave the name of a TV channel I used to work for and proudly stated I was one of its founder members. The sense of recognition seemed to grow in her eyes. I showed her an old picture on my cell phone and quipped, "Bina make up pehchaan-na mushqil hai!"

"Make up ke saath aurat lagte ho... aise hi raho... young lagte ho, college girl type" with those words she got off the rickshaw, paid her share of the fare and left.

I proceeded to college where everyone from the gatekeeper to the watchman to the peon to other professors kept asking me for my ID and lecture room number. "Child, why are you loitering in the corridore?", asked Prof. Bannerji from the English Department. She gasped when I told her that at 30, I could hardly be called a child. When I went to sign in the attendance register, the office boys asked me, "Idhar faculty section mein kya lene aaya?"

Everyone did a double take when I said, "Teacher hoon... Journalism padhaati hoon!" Luckily a student spotted me and came to my rescue... "Ma'am aaj lecture ground floor pe hai. Please come with me!"

Moral of the story, everything is perception. People always judge you by how you dress. If wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt makes me look 10 years younger... then I'm glad I discovered my jawaani ki nishaani!

PS: I don't hate my zit marks any more. They add to my youthful look ;-)

Don't believe me... take a look at this pic...