Sexerella Sherawat rocks Karjat; green-lights unusual flavour thriller
At ND Studios in Karjat, Mallika Sherawat is pleased as punch, as the mahurat of ‘Naagmati’ – her multi-lingual South flick in a new genre: period horror thriller flags off amid a salivating media. Ajit Ramachanddran contains his cinematic dribble and unveils the facts
Ajit Ramachanddran
Sexerella Sherawat rocks Karjat; green-lights unusual flavour thriller
At ND Studios in Karjat, Mallika Sherawat is pleased as punch, as the mahurat of ‘Naagmati’ – her multi-lingual South flick in a new genre: period horror thriller flags off amid a salivating media. Ajit Ramachanddran contains his cinematic dribble and unveils the facts
Close to 100 kms. away from bustling Mumbai lies Karjat, a lush Maharashtrian town nestled in the Raigad district of India, insanely famed for its vada pav. The film Press converged at ND Studios in Karjat, however, couldn’t care less for that indigenous snack. They’re eagerly awaiting another dishy treat. And a luscious, drool-worthy one, at that.
Mallika Sherawat, that is.
Their patience finds solace when Sherawat shows up in the flesh at the appointed hour, all togged up in a pink fetching ensemble, lip-stain to match and prominent gold earrings.
The Fourth Estate has been carted in numbers to ND Studios to witness the mahurat magic of ‘Naagmati’ – a period horror thriller, which the Press release avers will be radically “different” from the fare that movie-goers have been served up, until now.
A tilt of the head, a sly smile unleashed, a teasing pout, a hint of attitude, Sherawat knows her game. And she virtually has byte-hungry channel reporters and quote-thirsty journalists eating out of her starry hands, with finesse.
Minutes after the noon mahurat rituals – set against a palatial background with a cascading banner of ‘Naagmati’ unveiled by the actress and greeted with cheers - flag off in place, Sherawat is in form, tackling a fusillade of queries – pertinent, inane and worse - with practised ease and facility.
“I’ve done action with Jackie Chan and with Kamal Haasan in ‘Dasavathaaram’” she says, “But in this one, the genre is that a period horror thriller, which is completely new to me. That was one major attraction for me. I find action sequences really demanding of me. They are too much effort. I’m practising horse-riding for this film and I practically fell off the horse, two times. I prefer romantic comedies. They’re easier to film. But, when I heard the script of ‘Naagmati’, I knew that I had to do it. Usually, heroes get such roles. But I’m glad that such roles are being written with women in mind. For me, this film is also about women empowerment, in a way.”
For Sherawat, ‘Naagmati’ also happens to be a two good, too good cinematic gamble. One that she couldn’t afford to pass up, as she gets to essay dual characters - that of a queen and princess. “That’s another great challenge for me. Playing a double role, is something that I’ve never done before” she says, "It's is a great responsibility,I have to practically shoulder the film. It has its positives and negatives, but I choose to focus only on the positive. I’ve loved working in South films, especially with Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam. The producers of the film are also from the South. They’re such sweet, genuine people.”
Crafted under the banner of Vaithiyanathan Film Gardens, ‘Naagmati’ – a mega-budget and multi-lingual effort - produced by V.Palanivel, who has several South winners to his credit, and helmed by VC Vadivudaiyan, promises to be flick that will showcase high-octane action sequences, exotic scenic locations and jaw-dropping CG work that will all add to fetch cinematic favour. Furthermore, the movie will also usher in popular Tamil actor Jeevan and Vijayan Satya from South moviedom, onto the Hindi film horizon.
Prior to the mahurat a cricketer ace and actor, all beefed up and hunky, had a blast fielding queries from the media.
Salil Ankola, that is.
“During the pandemic, I had created a gym at home and started working out,” says Ankola. “And then this role of Somu, a warrior and loyal protector in ‘Naagmati’ came to me. It almost seems fated, that I was to play it. It is a bit similar to the cult character of Kattappa in ‘Baahubali’. Although ‘Naagmati’ is being filmed in Mumbai, Rajasthan and South Africa, my bit is being canned only in Mumbai.”
The ordeal of speaking in Tamil, however, is a linguistic challenge that’s posing to be too daunting for Ankola. “I’ve got one dialogue in Tamil for me to memorise, and that’s already making me go nuts,” he laughs, “My wife is from Pondicherry. When she came to know that the film is being shot in Tamil too, she urged me strongly to do it. Luckily for me, I have a Tamil tutor at home itself.”
In comparison to the persona of Sherawat is a gent on the territory who is in stark contrast, but without whom ‘Naagmati’ is strictly unimaginable.
VC Vadivudaiyan, that is.
Attired in an uninspiring gray tee ensemble, Vadivudaiyan displays a simplicity that’s instantly endearing. The director who has bagged success in the horror segment in South cinema and made it a mainstay of sorts, has been avoiding the regional Press carefully. And with good reason.
“I don’t know Hindi at all,” he states with a chuckle in fluent Tamil, “But I’m very excited to make my directorial debut in Hindi with ‘Naagmati’. It will be shot in Hindi, but will also have a bit of Tamil in it. Once it is complete, it will be dubbed in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. I have become so synonymous with the horror genre, that anytime I approach a producer, he immediately assumes that it must be a subject of this sort only.”
He adds significantly, “Although the film is called ‘Naagmati’, the female lead characters, with Mallika playing the double role of the queen and princess, who use violence and horror as weapons to guard their kingdom, are not snakes or snake-women themselves. But I will say that snakes are still a part of the movie, and are intrinsic to its storyline.”
Well, for the scribe-tribe, that’s reason enough to hiss about.
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