"Straight is a film about a homophobic guy"- Gul Panag
There is always this fear of messing it all up when you ask or throw your questions to intelligent personalities, who when talk, talk 'straight', no tedhi medhi baat. Especially Mr. Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Lara Dutta and of course, the dimpled beauty and the ever so coiffed Gul Panag. We were suppose to talk a couple of days back but it all zeroed down to the Mumbai airport yesterday when the actress was to catch her flight to attend the Delhi premiere of her latest flick Straight.
Totally professional, ready for whatever over-personal or inane questions we throw at her, and it's really hard to resist the urge to tell her how many times we've watched her dimpled cheeks looking so gorgeous in the Tata Sky commercial with Aamir or how we saw her Manorama Six Feet Under or the countless other ways we've admired her for what seems like forever. Anyway, so here we go on a yet another intelligent talkathon. Sipping the hot coffee from the mug we open the book of questions and on the other side, a sugar free tea did the trick for Gul. 8.45 in the morning couldn't have been so sweet.
Our correspondent joins Gul Panag in a poignant chat about experimenting with the audiences, her trust for her director Parvati, the feedback she got from the insiders who saw the film, what tickled her funny bone, her success and failure, whether homosexuality should be legalised, what makes Straight a tedhi medhi love story and a twisted individual called Vinay Pathak.
Did
the
coffee
or
the
tea
smell
any
sweeter
this
morning?
(Laughs)
I'm
still
waiting
for
my
tea
to
arrive.
The
release
is
just
couple
of
days
away
and
I
have
a
feeling
that
this
is
going
to
be
a
film
to
which
people
are
going
to
connect
to
across
the
board.
This
is
yet
another
milestone
in
the
kind
of
work
I've
set
out
to
do
and
I'm
hoping
that
it'll
be
well
received.
Are
we
really
experimenting
with
our
audiences
now
with
such
diverse
films
being
released
in
cinemas?
The
multiplexes
have
sectioned
the
audiences
in
a
manner
where
the
audience
are
in
a
position
to
choose
the
film
they
want
to
watch.
Having
said
that,
the
kind
of
audience
for
a
film
like
Straight
already
exists.
It
need
not
be
created.
There
are
films
that
are
being
made
now
for
that
particular
section
of
the
audience.
Do
films
like
Straight
challenge
you
as
an
actor
where
the
scope
to
perform
is
minimal?
Every
film,
every
role
and
every
scene
I
do
in
films
is
a
challenge.
I
don't
think
I'll
be
able
to
perform
if
I
am
constantly
nervous
or
stressed.
It's
difficult
to
some
extent
playing
a
character
which
has
a
dominant
driving
emotion
in
films
like
Manorama
or
Dor.
When
there
isn't
a
particularly
outstanding
over
bearing
trait
in
her
personality,
such
roles
are
much
harder.
Much
harder
even
to
make
these
characters
look
real
and
normal
without
making
it
look
like
it
doesn't
exist.
There
is
a
very
fine
line
between
trying
to
not
let
it
look
contrived
and
fake
and
then
yet
not
making
it
look
'thanda'
and
frigid.
The
role
hasn't
traumatized
you,
has
it?
(Laughs)
In
terms
of
mental
trauma,
this
character
has
given
me
the
most.
I
remember
I
asked
my
director
Parvati
as
to
what
can
I
do
with
my
character
and
she
replied
back
saying
just
be
yourself
and
be
spontaneous.
I
was
watching
an
interview
she
gave
yesterday
on
the
television
show
which
was
being
done
on
me
where
she
said,
"The
best
thing
I
like
about
Gul's
work
is
that
when
she
goes
into
a
scene,
she
doesn't
know
what
she
is
going
to
do".
And
that
is
precisely
what
I
do.
I
don't
know
how
to
react.
This
character
has
given
me
more
sleepless
nights
than
any
other
even
though
it
looks
very
simple.
What
qualities
did
Parvati
have
where
you
would
trust
her
with
such
an
important
film?
I'll
answer
this
question
even
more
simply.
Parvati
and
I
have
done
a
film
before
Straight
which
is
still
untitled
and
to
be
released
in
the
next
three
four
months.
It's
got
a
little
bit
of
work
left
though.
Out
of
three
films
Parvati
has
made,
I
am
in
two
of
them
already.
I
didn't
even
read
the
script
of
Straight
till
I
reached
London
because
that's
the
kind
of
faith
I
had
in
her.
I
eventually
did
and
my
first
reaction
was
-
wow!
Now
how
do
you
make
a
normal
character
endearing
and
interesting?
For
the
first
three
to
four
days
I
was
really
stressed
out
but
the
more
I
was
honest
to
myself
and
enjoyed
on
and
off
the
sets,
I
felt
more
comfortable.
Parvati
is
normal
and
that's
what
makes
me
trust
her.
Have
you
seen
the
film
and
any
kind
of
feedback
you've
received?
I
saw
the
film
three
days
ago.
Ketan
Mehta
saw
the
film
and
said,
"I
can't
believe
it.
This
is
your
best
film
ever.
You
light
up
the
screen".
I
wasn't
expecting
such
a
positive
feedback
from
the
film.
Yes,
it's
a
nice
film
but
the
insiders
have
told
me
something
else
which
is
quite
shocking.
I
have
to
tell
you
this;
there
is
a
young
advertising
guy
who
is
a
good
friend
of
mine
too.
He
has
found
a
fault
in
everything
I've
done
except
Manorama,
whether
it's
my
face,
my
hands,
my
hair,
my
lips,
etc.
Guess
what,
he
is
my
truest
friend
from
the
industry.
He
saw
Straight
and
said
that
he
couldn't
believe
how
nice
I
was.
You
aren't
a
narcissist
are
you?
Not
really.
But
I
remember
having
a
chat
with
Nagesh
during
Dor
when
I
wanted
to
see
myself
in
the
monitor
as
to
how
I
was
looking
and
he
said,
"It
doesn't
even
matter
how
you're
looking.
Do
you
want
to
see
how
you're
looking
on
screen
or
want
people
to
see
the
same?"
What
really
tickled
your
funny
bone
when
you
saw
the
film?
I
think
the
way
Parvati
has
cut
it.
I
knew
the
story,
so
it
can't
tickle
me.
But
as
an
audience
I'm
sure
it's
going
to
tickle
you.
It's
so
funny
the
way
the
editor
and
Parvati
has
edited
the
film.
The
way
the
film
is
put
together
has
exceeded
my
expectations.
Has
success
or
failure
ever
compromised
your
vision
towards
commercial
cinema?
I
don't
think
there
is
any
other
kind
of
cinema.
Every
film
that
is
made
is
made
with
the
intent
of
earning
money.
We
don't
make
them
for
private
viewing.
But
I'm
sure
there
are
filmmakers
like
Quentin
Tarantino
who
make
films
for
himself
only
(laughs).
That
is
commerce
and
that's
why
it's
termed
as
commercial
cinema.
I
didn't
do
a
Dor
thinking
that
it'll
change
my
life.
I
haven't
thought
of
success
or
failure
but
the
day
I
do,
I'll
evaluate
these
things.
How
do
you
empathize
or
even
understand
a
guy
like
Pinu
Patel?
You
don't.
He
is
just
a
mystery.
I
remember
interviewing
Vinay
and
he
was
interviewing
me.
It
was
an
interesting
format.
When
I
was
doing
that,
I
realised
that
he
is
an
inherent
good
man
even
though
he
is
twisted
in
certain
ways
and
I
am
not
saying
that
in
a
psychopathic
manner.
It's
what
experience
we
emotionally
go
through
after
the
screw
up
that
determines
ones
true
character.
I
think
a
person
who
regrets
is
a
better
human
being
than
the
person
for
whom
nothing
makes
a
difference.
Pinu's
character
may
not
be
always
in
the
white
but
when
he
is
in
the
black,
the
goodness
in
him
comes
out.
Clear
this
air
about
Straight
being
a
film
about
homosexuality.
Straight
is
a
film
about
a
homophobic
guy.
Pinu
Patel
is
homophobic
just
like
the
bulk
of
the
Indian
population.
In
this
society
you
are
a
conformist
and
sexuality
is
one
small
part
of
it.
To
conform
would
be
to
be
heterosexual
and
the
non
conformists
are
to
be
the
homosexual.
It's
all
a
matter
of
choice.
We've
always
looked
down
upon
these
whether
it's
in
sexuality,
thought
or
any
opinion.
By
and
large,
we
are
a
homophobic
society.
Pinu
suddenly
figures
that
there
is
a
possibility
that
he
could
just
be
a
gay.
Now
imagine
the
trauma
of
Pinu,
a
man
who
hates
people
who
are
gays.
Do
you
think
homosexuality
should
be
legalized?
On
whether
homosexuality
should
be
legalised
or
not,
I've
always
maintained
that
sexuality
is
a
very
private
matter.
Neither
a
society
nor
a
state
has
any
right
to
interfere
in
this
matter.
They
shouldn't
even
comment
on
a
matter
like
this,
I
believe.
Tomorrow
we'll
have
a
state
saying
that
on
Monday
we
should
wear
pink
underwear,
on
Tuesday
you
wear
a
green
one.
They
will
tell
us
what
way
to
brush
our
teeth
too.
All
this
is
too
personal.
You
shouldn't
judge
anybody
on
sexual
orientation.
I
hope
I've
answered
your
question.
What
makes
Straight
a
tedhi
medhi
love
story?
It's
tedhi
because
it's
a
typical
love
story
where
a
boy
meets
girl,
they
have
some
trouble
and
things
work
out.
A
tedhi
medhi
love
story
because
it's
not
according
to
plan
in
more
ways
than
at
least
five
(laughs)
or
at
least
three.
There
is
this
guy
who
hopes
he
is
a
regular
guy
who
is
pushing
forties.
He
thinks
that
one
day
will
come
when
he
finds
his
match
-
a
girl,
and
he
almost
finds
her.
He
lives
in
a
quintessential
hope
that
all
of
us
live
in.
His
love
life
is
one
set
of
messy
things
after
the
other,
from
one
tedha
to
doosra
tedha
to
teesra
tedha.