Mukta Barve –a versatile actress, who started her career as a theatre artiste and moved on to the idiot box is finally making a clinch with the big screen. The actress who won many hearts with her latest performance as Sulakshana in 'Ek Daav Dhobi Pachhad', opens her heart to MMW

You were judged as the best promising newcomer at the Maharashtra Film Awards and also at the Zee Awards for ‘Chakwa’. Can you tell us, what does an award mean to an actor? Also tell us, which aspect of your play ‘Kabaddi Kabbadi’ has become its USP?
An award is very important for any actor. It is an assurance that people know you as an actor and also like your work. It is also a guarantee that you are not doing the same kind of work. I was elated, when I got an award for Chakwa. Receiving the first award is always important. In fact, for me getting to know that I was nominated, made me very happy and I will always remember it.

The story of Kabaddi Kabbadi was very appealing, the actors were very strong. The story was not just limited to the ‘Kabbadi’ but was about the relationship between a father and a daughter.

After getting international acclaim, your movie 'Jogwa' will be releasing soon. Can you tell us something about it?
I am looking forward to its release. The movie has been made exceptionally well. A social issue has been dealt with. It is a unique love story between a Jogta and a Jogtini. I play the role of a Jogtini, while Upendra Limaye plays the role of a Jogta. The music has been given by Ajay-Atul, while the songs are rendered by Ashok Shinde, Hariharan and Shreya Goshal. It is said that the movie that does well at the festivals, do not do well at the theatres; but we found out that it is not the same with this movie, when we did its technical release at Kolhapur.

How did you prepare for this role?
The role of a Jogtini is a bit different. I prepared for it a bit. I took a close look at few photographs and observed quite common things in the rural areas. I learnt about the life of a Jogtini in particular. There is a small village Saundatti in Karnataka, where a Jogta and a Jogtini are married off to God. It’s fine till you are playing the role, but it gets really tough when you start thinking of their life. Two girls of the same age, one gets married, has children and a happy married life, while the other - whom the villagers have termed as a Jogtini , cannot enjoy all these pleasures of life. A man who is troubled so much that he is made to think that he is not a man. The movie shows how the social life of such people is affected. It becomes difficult, when superstition becomes more important in life.

How was your experience working with Rajiv Patil and Upendra Limaye after ‘Blind Game’?
When I did ‘Blind Game’, Rajiv was just a director of ‘Sawarkhed Ek Gaon’ for me and when I was in school I had seen a play of Upendra and I likeed it a lot. After coming together for Jogwa, all of us realized how much we all had matured. Now, there is professionalism in our work. There are a lot of romantic scenes in the movie between Upendra and me and in one song he is dressed up in a Saree. We were very scared while doing this song and were wondering if people would accept this. But, Rajiv is a very intelligent director. He has made the movie in such a way that by the time the song comes, the audience will be engrossed so much into the movie that they would fail to notice his saree. An incident comes to mind. My parents saw this movie at PIFF and when they came home, they had a big discussion on the life of Sumi. I had to tell them that the role was played by me.

Who is your favourite co-actor?
I have always worked with a different actor every time whether I did a movie or a play. The experience has been a different one every time. The tuning has been good with everyone. Also, when the opposite person makes you feel comfortable, then the chemistry works well.

Till now you had done only one movie per year. But this year, you have two movies, first- Ek Daav Dhobi Pachhad and now Jogwa. So, will it be right to say that 2009 has been lucky for you ?
Certainly !. It has been a great start this year. Apart from this, I am also doing Sumbaran, a movie by Gajendra Ahire. One movie’s shooting has been 70-80% done, while the other will start this month. Also, I have my plays on. 2009 is going great for me and hope it continues to be. The audience will get to see new roles and hope their year also goes good