Urmila Matondkar added that she fell prey to nepotism as some actors didn’t like her success.
Urmila’s Satya was re-released recently.
Urmila Matondkar was a cinema sensation in the 90s and starred in several popular films like Rangeela, Satya, Bhoot, and Ek Hasina Thi among others. Although Urmila had a diverse body of work, she was often seen as “an item girl or a sex siren”. In a recent interview with the Times Of India, she opened up about this and said that she is happy that the current media has a different perspective on women.
Urmila Matondkar said, “My body of work included films like Kaun?, Bhoot, Ek Hasina Thi, Pinjar, Rangeela, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara… but I was still slotted as an item girl or a sex siren. Rangeela is also about a simple girl, who dreams big. The sexy image you see of her is her screen image or a character’s fantasy. I am glad the media today has a deeper understanding and a different perspective on women.”
Recently, Urmila’s Satya was re-released in theatres after 26 years. The film was directed by Ram Gopal Varma and starred Manoj Bajpayee in the lead. The actress’ association with Ram Gopal Varma is a highlight in her filmography as she has starred in his prominent works like Rangeela, Satya, Kaun? and Bhoot.
In the same conversation, Urmila praised the director and said, “Ramuji is undoubtedly one of our finest filmmakers. Look at his body of work and the kind of talent he got into the film industry. Not just actors, but cinematographers, technicians, writers and music directors. At the screening of Satya’s re-release, Sriram Raghavan, Madhu Mantena and Anurag Kashyap were there for him as they all had started out with him. He is an institution in cinema. I am proud of the work I have done with Ram Gopal Varma. If the right opportunity comes along, I would love to collaborate with Manoj Bajpayee and Ramuji again.”
She also dismissed the rumours of a fallout between her and Ram Gopal Varma. “There is no such thing as we stopped working. There was no fallout between RGV and me. I even did special songs in his movies like Company and Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. The 90’s media was obsessed with everything about me except for my acting capability. Today, people openly talk about nepotism. Back in the day, too, there were actors around me who came from film families. Many couldn’t handle the fact that this nobody coming from a middle-class Marathi background was simply doing her work and shining. I made it on my own without anyone’s backing. I will say proudly that I am a people-made star. My work has always spoken for itself,” she said.
