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'I couldn't stop staring at Bipasha'

Mugdha Godse made a smash debut in Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion, and landed quite a few movies in her kitty. One of them is this week's release All The Best, co-starring Ajay Devgn, Fardeen Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Bipasha Basu.

After showing off her glamorous side in her first film, Mugdha is all set to show off her comic side in this film. She tells Nithya Ramani what to expect.

What is All The Best about?

It is a madcap comedy, a complete entertainer with a lot of naach, gaana, action and comedy. I play a funny and very superstitious character called Vidya. She goes around giving out lucky charms and always places her phone in the north-west direction so that she can get good news. She spoils the fun for her friends, so they always want her out.

While I say action and comedy, I mean Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt do all the fight sequences and we ladies -- Bipasha and me -- do all the screaming. You'll find it funny when you watch the film.

Since it is directed by Rohit Shetty, you can expect a lot of comedy. Of course, the film is incomplete without a mistaken identity crisis. Something happens and that results in great chaos and finally, everything gets sorted out.

Are you superstitious like your character?

I'm not as mad as Vidya. I do wear a couple of stones which I believe will bring me luck, like my astrologer says. I have been wearing them for six-seven years now and things have been going well for me, making me want to believe that they help.

This is a comedy film. Do you have a funny bone?

No. But I've watched all the seasons of Friends and have tried to copy their style. My friends find me funny -- I think that is because I am straightforward. But as an actor, you have to have all the qualities to be able to pull off any kind of role.

'I thought I might feel out of place'

You are cast opposite Fardeen Khan. What was working with him like?

Fardeen plays an upcoming singer and I keep giving him things to bring him luck. But really, I keep getting him into trouble.

He is a very chilled out guy, very sophisticated and behaves like a gentleman. He can talk about politics and world wars while waiting for a shot but the next thing you know, he will jump like a monkey and get ready for the scene.

You are quite new to Bollywood, compared to the rest of the cast. Did you feel out of place at any point?

I was initially very scared. I thought I might feel out of place. But I was surprised to see that the others didn't make me feel that way. They made me feel very comfortable and always included me in their conversations.

Sanju sir was the first one to break the ice. He came up to me and introduced himself.

Ajay and Sanju sir would talk about their past experiences. There was so much to learn from them. They told me that they are not even five percent of what they were before. They used to play many more pranks before. But now, since they're getting older, they have become more serious as actors and producers. It felt great to be a part of this crew.

Ajay Devgn has produced the film. How is he as a producer?

Very good. He was always on his toes making sure everyone was comfortable and taken care of. Even as a person, he is very good and he helped me a lot. He gave me tips and helped me get my comic timing right.

'It's always better to start your career with a multi-starrer'

How is Rohit Shetty as director?

He's a very good action director. I think he has amalgamated action and comedy beautifully in his films. He is very colourful,  vibrant and sincere. But that said, he plays pranks on people on the sets.

He used to play volleyball till early morning and then come for the shoot at 6am sharp.

As a director, he is very calm and composed. Since the others were experienced and some have worked with him earlier, it was easy for them to understand what he wanted from a scene. I would be the only one who wouldn't understand. So after the brief, I would ask Rohit about my part. He would then calmly explain my part. Later, I got into the groove.

There were rumours that Bipasha and you did not get along on the sets.

It is fun working with Bipasha. These rumours are nonsense. Ajay, Bipasha and I used to gym together.

Bipasha and I always spoke about food. I had a very cordial relationship with her.

Don't you feel lost in multi-starrers like All The Best and Fashion?

It's always better to start your career with a multi-starrer. You get to learn a lot. In Fashion, people came to see Priyanka (Chopra) and Kangana (Ranaut) but when they left the theatres, they said Mugdha was good as well. So I gained recognition there. I learn a lot from my co-stars because they bring a lot of experience with them.

You have gone deglam in your upcoming film, Jail. Isn't that a risk?

When I work with the best people, I don't think about risks. And when there is Madhur Bhandarkar, I know I will look good. There is nothing to fear.

I played a bindaas girl in Fashion and if I played a similar role in my next films, I would get type-casted. I don't want that to happen. I want to try different genres of films and different roles. I am waiting to see how people will react to my look in Jail. As long as people appreciate my work, I am happy.

'Life has changed for the good'

Among your three films, you get to dance only in All The Best. How was the experience?

The dance sequence was my first shot, and I had just come out of an accident. I was adviced 20 days rest but I danced despite my injury. Rohit and Ajay helped me a lot. Ajay had someone doing acupressure to help me out. Rohit would make sure if I was okay before I did the dance steps. I am glad the song came out well.

How has life changed post Fashion? How are you dealing with your new fame?

Life has changed for the good. I am trying to be grounded. I know I have a long way to go, and this is just the beginning. I can't afford to take things for granted and let it go to my head. I am trying to improve myself.

'Neil is a perfect co-star'

You've worked with some of the biggest stars in the industry. What are they like?

Ajay Devgn: He's highly intelligent though he may not come across like that. He has had some great experiences.

Fardeen Khan: He is fun-loving and loves to party. He can make conversation with anyone on any topic. He is very knowledgeable. He loves making friends. We were all partying out and a group of foreigners came in, whom he made friends with. He just went up to them, started a conversation and made friends.

Sanjay Dutt: He is the most down-to-earth person I have met. I never thought we would chat. I was in awe of him when he came up to me and spoke to me.

Bipasha Basu: She is drop-dead gorgeous. I couldn't stop staring at her. I took a lot of styling tips from her. She always talks from the heart.

Priyanka Chopra: She's a darling. She can be your mother, sister, friend anytime. We called her our Khalifa (saviour) because in my first press conferences for Fashion, she saved me many times from goofing up. I used to put my foot in my mouth and she always helped.

Kangana Ranaut: She is like a child. She keeps to herself at times but is very energetic at other times.

Neil Nitin Mukesh: I have a love-hate relationship with Neil. We keep pulling each other's legs. He's a perfect co-star, very mature and composed. He knows what he wants.

What next?

After Jail is a horror film opposite Bobby Deol. It is directed by debutant Rajiv Virani.