Urmila
undertook
considerable
physical
preparation
to
play
the
character
to
play
the
character
in
Bas
Ek
Pal
.
"Yes,
I
cut
my
hair
and
also
got
a
new
designer
Anita
Dongre
to
do
my
clothes.
This
isn't
because
I
needed
to
look
physically
different.
But
we
needed
to
show
serious
time
transition,
and
that
had
to
be
brought
into
my
physicality.
My
character
is
calm
outwardly
,
but
shaken
and
stirred
from
within.
I'm
very
proud
of
this
role
and
Maine
Gandhi
Ko
Nahin
Mara.
In
both
there's
no
bravura
performing
by
me.
I
want
to
be
like
Sachin
Tendulkar
on
the
field.
Making
his
presence
felt
without
straining
to
do
so....
In
BEP,
I
don't
want
audiences
to
check
me
out
in
this
and
that
scene.
I
want
them
to
see
the
character
rather
than
me."
Urmila
has
been
given
the
colour
orange
to
denote
her
character.
"Somewhere
or
the
other
I
sport
orange
to
show
flamboyance.
I
don't
think
characters
have
been
given
their
own
colours
to
denote
their
personality
in
any
other
movie
in
Hindi."
"For
once
I
don't
play
a
traumatized
character,
Sanjay
Suri
and
Jimmy
Shergill
do," laughs
Urmila
about
her
first
real
urban
take
on
relationships.
"But
to
play
a
'normal'
girl
is
not
easier
or
more
difficult.
I
just
enjoy
acting
so
much.
I'd
be
lying
if
I
said
it
was
hard
work,
no
matter
what
the
role.
But
I
must
tell
you
girls
have
identified
with
my
character
in
BEP
of
this
fun-loving
character
who
goes
to
a
club,
has
a
few
drinks,
flirts
with
a
guy
and
doesn't
even
remember
who
he
was
the
next
day.
I
think
my
character
connects
with
city
women
in
one
way
or
another."
Though
she
has
played
characters
in
bizarre
situations
in
Ek
Haseena
Thi
and
Pinjar
Urmila
still
identifies
with
them.
"In
every
character
you
find
a
thread
that
you
use
to
weave
around
your
own
personality.
Somewhere
you
connect
with
a
character,
or
it
doesn't
work.
As
far
as
playing
a
metro-centric
character
goes
I've
never
been
a
typical
working
woman.
The
work
I
do
doesn't
really
give
me
chance
to
connect
with
a
typical
working
woman.
What
I
connect
to
in
Anamika
of
BEP
is
her
basic
honesty.
She
isn't
scared
of
facing
the
music.
I
connected
to
that.
It
wasn't
so
difficult
to
play
her
because
I
know
women
who
get
into
these
crises.
"
Then
she
laughs.
"I'm
generally
made
to
play
these
central
roles
of
acutely
traumatized
characters
.
In
Bas
Ek
Pal
I'm
far
less
aggressive.
To
that
extent
this
isn't
an
acting-acting
role
the
way,
say
Bhoot
or
Pinjar
were.
There
were
high
dramatics
in
those
.
Not
here.
I
just
adored
the
fact
that
BEP
had
five
major
characters
and
they're
all
beautifully
individualized.
The
way
Onir
knits
them
together
is
so
beautiful.
It's
so
easy
to
show
the
prelude
of
a
relationship.
But
how
to
end
it
is
something
Onir
knows."
Urmila
gave
her
inputs
to
the
script.
"As
a
woman
I
reacted
somewhat
differently
to
some
of
the
situations.
Onir
listened
to
me
I
had
of
course
seen
My
Brother
Nikhil.
But
Onir
urged
me
to
watch
it
again
after
we
started
working.
BEP
is
about
real
relationships.
I'd
like
to
believe
I
know
today's
woman's
mind.
This
is
as
close
as
we
can
get
to
a
real
urban
woman's
mind.
My
character
Anamika
is
a
typical
metrocentric
girl.
She
works
hard
and
parties
hard.
She's
equally
in-charge
in
a
pub
and
at
her
work
place.
She
knows
she's
sensuous
and
not
afraid
to
flaunt
it
One
doesn't
get
to
see
real
characters
like,
me,
Sanjay,
Jimmy,
Juhi
and
Rehaan
every
day.
And
the
film
isn't
judgemental
about
these
imperfect
lives.
What
I
liked
about
the
script
was
that
undercurrent
of
longing.
'What
if
I
had
done
this
instead
of
that?' the
characters
keep
asking
themselves
all
the
time.
There're
many
unspoken
desires
in
this
love
story.
There's
a
beautiful
scene
with
Jimmy
where
I'm
saying
one
thing
and
thinking
something
else.
Such
moments
are
so
uncommon
in
our
cinema
."
She
calls
her
director
Onir
a
silent
dictator.
"Kitne
bhi
haath-pair
maaro...he
makes
you
do
what
he
wants
Onir
,plus
the
entire
cast
was
new
to
me.
I've
this
wonderful
scene
with
Juhi
Chawla
.
I'd
like
to
believe
it's
done
in
a
way
two
women
in
love
would
react
to
each
other
in
a
critical
situation.
Sure
we've
grown
up
watching
women
battle
it
out
dramatically.
But
I
believe
a
more
muted
form
of
expression
is
the
order
of
the
day."
But
Urmila
surprises
you
by
giving
credit
for
a
maturer
man-woman
relationship
to
cinema
of
yesterday.
"What
about
Satyajit
Ray's
Charulata,
what
about
films
of
Gulzar
Saab,
Shyam
Benegal
and
Kalpana
Lajmi?
I'm
not
one
of
those
clueless
actors
who
think
mature
relationships
have
started
now...To
me
a
liberated
cinema
is
as
important
as
a
liberated
woman."
And
how
would
she
define
a
liberated
woman?
"Economic
importance
is
important.
Sadly
a
lot
of
women
in-charge
are
emotionally
stressed.
We're
living
in
stressful
times
where
relationships
are
a
casualty.
People
gradually
forget
the
reason
why
they
fell
in
love
in
the
first
place."
And
when
is
love
going
to
happen
Urmila?
"Should
I
try
to
sound
excited
by
the
prospect?
Jokes
apart.
I
strongly
believe
in
true
love.
My
favourite
films
are
Roman
Hoiday,
Brief
Encounter
and
Bridges
Of
Madison
Country.
I
definitely
believe
love
happens
at
the
right
time."
Does
she
fear
men
would
fall
in
love
for
her
success
rather
than
for
who
she
is?
"No
trust
me,
I
know
the
star
struck
types.
But
in
India,
men
do
get
intimidated
by
successful
women.
So
yes,
I
do
have
a
problem
on
hand
."