Mallika Sherawat is a well known Bollywood actress who is crossing over into American cinema with her new film “Politics of Love”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Mallika about the film and how was it working with her co-star Brian White.
Mike Gencarelli: Tell us what drew you to the film “Politics of Love”?
Mallika Sherawat: I thought it was a great script. I thought it would be a great way to make my debut in America with such a great story. How many ethnic actors get an opportunity to play the main lead in a romantic comedy in Hollywood.
MG: What did you like most about playing Aretha Gupta?
MS: What I liked about the character was there was no boundaries. She was not affected by her ethnicity. That is what I liked the most about her. She enjoyed being half Indian and half African American. There are no boundaries about race, ethnicity and religion.
MG: We recently interview Brian White and tell us how was it working with him and how was your chemistry on set?
MS: The chemistry with Brian was great. He is a very giving kind of actor. He made me feel very comfortable. He was very warm and nice. I also learned a lot from him regarding American politics. I had to do a lot of homework. I learned a lot from him about Martin Luther King and his points of view. It was very educating.
MG: Prior to working on the film, tell us about the research you had to do?
MS: Oh my God…yes! I am from Bollywood and I know a lot about Indian politics but not American. I had I to immerse myself in the difference between Democratic and Republicans. Then on top of that I spent a lot of time with Kamala Harris, the Attorney General of San Francisco. I really had to learn a lot.
MG: Switching gears totally, tell us about working on “Hisss”?
MS: It is such a departure “Hisss” was a very eastern story based on mythology about the shape shifting snake. It is very popular story in the east. In “Hisss” I play a snake goddess and in “Politics of Love” I play Aretha Gupta, the girl next door [laughs]. What better for an actor to get out of their comfort zone and really experiment.
MG: How was it working with Robert Kurtzman on the full snake costume?
MS: The costume was torture. I love Robert Kurtzman…but it was torture. It was all snake skin. I was sew into the costume and I couldn’t pee for 14 hours. I got dehydrated plus I covered in mud throughout the shoot. I also couldn’t walk because the snake had a tail, so I had to be carried on the set [laughs].
MG: What do you have planned next?
MS: Right now, what I am really doing is reading a lot of material and deciding carefully what the next movie for me should be.
