Mona Lisa

“Why
is There Negative Publicity About My Role?”

AGHAST IS THE
LOOK on Mona Lisa’s face, when you talk to her regarding why her Indian
film, Kajra Re is is being considered a real no-no in local film circles!
She says when she was cast in the film by Pooja Bhatt, she hardly knew
anything about the communal side of this film.

“It’s all blown out of proportion,” the delicate and easy-going girl tells
you, when you mention this controversy. “I can’t understand why there is so
much negative publicity about my role, regarding Kajra Re. When I was told
about the role by Pooja, she basically narrated a story that sympathized
with the dancing girls at the bazaar. There was no talk of the religious
side, or the communal aspect. Neither is there any need to make an issue out
of it,” Mona said tongue-in-cheek.

But, it’s not actually the censors, but Suhail Khan, the famous
distributor-film-maker, who says that he won’t release Kajra Re in Pakistan.
He says that he doesn’t think it proper that such a subject should be risked
in this country, where it will certainly create a bad taste in the mouth of
the people, and it would never do well.

But Mona shakes her head on hearing the logic. “I am not sure if this is
realistic,” Mona says matter-of-factly. “The story is basically about the
tragic fact that the dancing girls are never approached by good family men.
Pooja shows that such women are also humans, and they also wait for their
Prince Charming. I play just such a girl, who is finally given protection,
and then married to a Hindu boy. But, that is at the end, and throughout the
film, there’s no such issue discussed. Let’s face it, I am an actress, and
if I have a good role, then such itsy bitsy facts have to be ignored.”

Well, Mona may be right. The fact is that we screened just such a film in
Pakistan, in early 2001, called Tere Pyar Mein, which had Zara Sheikh and
Shaan. It had a Muslim Pakistani boy, played by Shaan, who loves a Sikh
Indian girl, played by Zara. The film was well-made by Hasan Askari,
although the Mujahideen segment was not done properly. The censors did not
have any strong words for it. So how come Mona’s role in Kajra Re is such a
bother?

I’m referring to the Pakistani actress Mona Lisa here. Well, in case you’ve
forgotten her, she’s been in many TV dramas and time has now come for her to
make it big.

Mona Lisa earlier bagged a role in a major Indian film in which she was
paired with singer-cum-actor Himesh Reshamya. The film titled Kajrare is now
to be released soon, produced by Pooja Bhatt and promises to be an
action-packed production with just the right dash of emotions. In it, our
girl plays Himesh’s love interest and has more than a few lines to utter,
unlike some of the other Pakistani actresses and actors who’ve worked in
Bollywood ventures (hint, hint).

To boot, the sultry diva can now also be seen in a delectable makeover on
the cover of the November issue of one of Pakistan’s premier monthly fashion
and lifestyle magazines, and can hardly be recognised courtesy stylist
Altaf’s (Nabila’s) makeover and photographer Rizwan-ul-Haq.

As for Kajrare, let’s wait and see what the critics have to say.

Courtesy: Dawn Images