By:
Joginder
Tuteja,
IndiaFM
Wednesday,
September
26,
2007
Unlike
her
contemporaries
from
the
world
of
glamour
and
beauty
pageants,
Gul
Panag
doesn't
believe
in
being
a
part
of
the
rat
race.
Here
she
states
the
reason
why?
"I
would
rather
enjoy
life
and
explore
so
many
different
things
that
the
world
has
to
offer
rather
than
worry
24
hours
of
my
day
planning
my
next
move
in
Bollywood",
says
Gul
whose
film
Manorama
Six
Feet
Under
has
just
released.
"Being
the
daughter
of
an
Army
man,
I
have
moved
around
the
country
and
stayed
in
places
like
Leh
and
Laddakh.
Guess
it's
hard
for
me
to
settle
down
into
anything
which
may
be
monotonous
or
unexciting."
Was
Manorama
Six
Feet
Under
the
kind
of
opportunity
that
came
her
way
which
broke
the
monotony?
"The
film
sounded
so
novel
in
the
first
read
itself.
Also,
I
got
to
play
the
role
of
a
middle
class
housewife
which
allowed
me
to
explore
different
traits
of
being
someone
who
I
am
not",
says
Gul
whose
moment
of
glory
came
with
Nagesh
Kukunoor's
Dor
last
year.
While
each
and
every
actor
in
the
town
today
is
talking
about
Hollywood,
Gul
doesn't
have
any
qualm
in
admitting
that
she
could
possibly
recollect
names
of
only
a
couple
of
Hollywood
directors.
"No
point
pretending
to
be
someone
who
you
are
not.
With
most
of
my
life
spent
in
travelling
across
the
country
with
stay
at
hard
stations,
the
last
thing
you
are
exposed
to
is
cinema.
In
fact
I
have
been
in
situations
when
even
a
regular
Hindi
movie
has
been
screened
a
year
after
being
released
in
Mumbai.
In
such
a
scenario,
even
if
you
have
basic
awareness
about
Bollywood,
it
is
a
bonus."
Talking
about
the
debutant
film
maker,
she
says,
"To
think
of
it,
director
Navdeep
Singh
is
really
a
genius.
He
knew
the
nuances
of
the
script
and
the
characters
inside
out.
I
can
vouch
for
the
fact
that
he
was
aware
not
just
about
what
the
protagonists
had
to
do
in
the
film
but
even
the
background
of
their
siblings
and
parents
who
may
in
fact
be
non-existant
in
the
film."
Her
Manorama
Six
Feet
Under
does
look
a
little
bizarre.
"I
don't
know
whether
bizarre
is
the
right
word
for
the
film.
Also,
you
can't
categorise
or
quantify
something
like
Manorama....
There
is
a
unique
treatment
to
the
film
right
from
art
direction
to
camerawork
to
sound.
Even
the
wardrobe
has
been
stitched
by
local
tailors
to
lend
an
authenticity
to
the
characters."
So
what
keeps
her
busy
apart
from
films?
"I
travel
and
also
write
a
lot.
In
fact
I
was
writing
for
HT
for
almost
3
years.
I
have
already
come
up
with
a
collection
of
short
stories
and
into
the
process
of
coming
up
with
one
more.
I
contribute
to
a
lot
of
discussion
groups
amongst
a
closed
group
set
of
people
though
blogging
may
be
just
round
the
corner",
she
divulges.
Is
Manorama
Six
Feet
Under
the
film
on
which
she
is
pining
all
her
hopes?
"To
be
honest
I
don't
really
expect
anything
from
any
of
the
films.
Yes,
it
does
sound
a
little
unbelievable
but
that's
me",
laughs
Gul,
"I
may
better
utilise
my
energy
into
the
work
I
do
rather
than
sitting
and
thinking
about
what
I
have
done
and
start
expecting
a
moon
later."
But
audience
does
expect
a
good
act
from
her,
especially
after
Dor
that
is
a
solid
DVD
watch
today!
"And
I
respect
my
audience
for
that",
she
says
quickly,
"I
am
not
saying
that
people
should
expecting
anything
from
me.
It
is
just
me
as
I
choose
to
follow
the
path
where
I
don't
fret
about
what
I
have
done
or
start
painting
the
town
red
on
achieving
something.
I
approach
my
work
with
integrity.
That's
my
motto.
As
things
stand
today,
I
am
very
happy
with
where
I
am."