It's
been
a
long
and
tiring
search
for
Madhur
Bhandarkar
to
find
one
of
the
principal
male
leads,
modeled
on
a
real-life
character,
to
play
a
gay
dress
designer.
"It
wasn't
an
aggressive
in-your-face
kind
of
homosexual
character.
I
needed
someone
tall,
fair
handsome
suave
and
outwardly
a
ladies'
man.
The
hunt
was
killing
me
because
I
start
shooting
with
this
character
in
just
a
few
days.
But
now
I've
found
my
actor.
Samir
Soni
fits
the
bill
completely.
He's
sensitive
and
yet
not
delicate,
soft-spoken
but
not
effeminate.
I
needed
that," enthused
Madhur
Bhandarkar
on
Thursday
afternoon
minutes
after
finalizing
Samir
Soni.
For
Samir,
who
started
as
Mamta
Kulkarni's
leading
man
in
Raj
Kumar
Santoshi's
China
Gate,
it's
been
a
long
and
troubled
journey.
"But
I've
finally
wrangled
a
role
that
has
got
my
creative
juices
running
again," says
Samir.
"When
I
heard
the
role
I
knew
I
immediately
wanted
to
do
it.
And
so
what
if
he's
gay?
It's
about
time
that
we
as
a
country
and
in
the
entertainment
business
stop
looking
at
homosexuality
as
a
peculiarity.
I
was
a
model,
so
I
know
a
lot
of
gays.
My
character
in
Fashion
being
gay
is
not
the
issue.
Some
directors
make
the
mistake
of
making
a
character's
homosexuality
his
identity
badge.
Madhur
is
a
director
who
handles
all
his
characters
with
finesse
and
sensitivity.
I'm
positive
he'll
make
sure
the
gay
community
accepts
my
character
wholeheartedly."
Samir
says
he
has
several
very
close
gay
friends.
"So
the
lack
of
time
to
prepare
for
the
part-we
start
shooting
next
week-doesn't
bother
me.
I
know
the
community
from
up
close.
I've
often
discussed
the
question
of
sexual
orientation
with
my
gay
friends,
how
it
affects
their
personality
and
their
day-to-day
dealings
with
people.
What
fascinates
me
is
the
closeted
existence
of
the
gay
who
doesn't
or
can't
come
out
in
the
open.
The
torment
of
keeping
the
secret
is
just
so
gut-wrenching.
Yeah,
I'm
looking
forward
to
playing
the
gay
as
a
gray
dark
character."
Samir
has
only
one
other
film,
Sanjay
Gupta's
Alibaug
in
hand.
"Yes,
I've
done
less
work.
And
I'm
not
going
to
pretend
it's
because
I
chose
to
do
so.
I
also
did
television
for
the
lack
of
choice.
But
let's
not
undermine
the
reach
of
the
home
medium.
The
roles
have
been
hard
to
come
by.
Maybe
I
wasn't
pushy
enough.
Maybe
I
wasn't
good
enough,"
Samir
chuckles
self-dismissively.
The
thought
of
sharing
screen
space
in
Fashion
with
so
many
seasoned
troupers
doesn't
intimidate
this
soft-spoken
actor.
"I
had
11
actors,
many
of
them
stalwarts
like
Amrish
Puriji,
Om
Puriji
and
Naseer
in
my
very
first
film.
In
Raj
Santoshiji's
Lajja,
I
was
paired
with
Madhuri
Dixit.
Now
in
Alibaug,
I'm
again
in
an
ensemble
cast.
I'm
not
at
all
scared
of
sharing
screen
space
with
other
actors
in
Fashion.
Whether
I'm
alone
in
a
30-second
ad
or
with
12
other
actors
in
a
big
film
like
Fashion,
I
do
my
best.
The
rest
I
leave
to
destiny."
Story first published: Friday, January 11, 2008, 13:05 [IST]