By Aliza Zaidi

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Mahima Choudhary drops by to spread the word about Indian cinema

India’s equivalent to Julia Roberts, popular actress Mahima Choudhary, visited Los Altos Aug. 10 during a brief tour to the Bay Area to participate in the India Festival at Mission College in Santa Clara.

Every day 10 million people across India go to the cinema. The country’s film industry, based in Bombay - hence the nickname “Bollywood” - turns out a staggering 900 productions a year. Audiences are offered a mix of gorgeous stars, spectacular song-and-dance routines, daring costumes and a few family values thrown in for good measure. The annual turnover of the industry hovers around $500 million.

Born Ritu Choudhary in Delhi, Choudhary attended boarding school and college in the Himalayan resort town of Darjeeling, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

“What led me to cinema was that I was already a model,” Choudhary explained. While she was on vacation in Delhi, a friend suggested she audition for the upcoming Pepsi commercial. She ended up as the new Pepsi girl starring opposite Aamir Khan, another Bollywood superstar, and Aishwarya Rai, Miss World 1994.

After several ads and a short stint as a VJ for channel V, she was rechristened Mahima for Subhash Ghai’s 1997 opus “Pardes (Foreign Land),” a film about a patriarch settled in the United States who wants a traditional Indian bride. “I didn’t accept any (film) offers until I felt I was ready for it,” Choudhary said.

Ghai, one of India’s greatest showmen, cast her opposite Shahrukh Khan, the Indian Tom Cruise. “I felt frightened, anxious and excited all at the same time,” Choudhary said. “All I could focus on was how I would hold my own in front of him. It was one of those times when you don’t get tired and you can’t sleep.”

“Pardes” hit the jackpot and so did “Daag: The Fire,” Choudhary’s second movie. Commercially “Daag” meant a tremendous risk for Choudhary, since it required her to play a double role, a formula that has met with little success in India.

“I was extremely nervous because I knew if it didn’t work out I would be labeled a one-film wonder,” Choudhary said. “The second role was really tough, but I ended up doing well and the film was a huge success.”

While all her movies managed to perform at the box office, “Dhadkan” brought with it a reminder of Choudhary’s popularity. Director Dharmesh Darshan signed her on when over half the film had already been shot. He later confessed that this was a move to boost the movie’s saleability.

In “Lajja,” which maintained a female-oriented script, Choudhary starred beside such greats as Rekha, Madhuri Dixit and Manisha Koirala. She dismisses any suggestion of rivalry among the stars. “There is competition in anything you do today, but there can never be rivalry within the same film,” she said.

“Om, Jai, Jagdish” released simultaneously in India and the United States last month and performed well. Her upcoming movie, “Dil Hai Tumhara,” will be released in both countries Sept. 6.

“It is quite a drama and a good love story,” Choudhary said of “Dil Hai Tumhara.” “We have Rekha, someone I have always admired, playing my mom’s character.”

In all her films, hits or misses, Choudhary’s performances have received critical acclaim. “After the initial stage of establishing myself, I am looking forward to working in a variety of films and to doing cinema that appeals to me,” Choudhary said.

She said whatever appeals to the audience is what appeals to her. “It doesn’t matter how big or small the budget is,” she said.

Hindi films are, to a large extent, India’s unannounced ambassadors in spreading the word of Indian culture. Recent Bollywood productions have found appreciation among American audiences.

The key to this success, according to Choudhary, is India’s rich culture. “Whether it is our attitude, the way we respect our parents, our togetherness or the abundance of color in our culture, it is our traditions that appeal a lot to foreign audiences.”

With music being an important component of Indian culture, every Bollywood production is a musical. According to Choudhary, “The song-and-dance routine really excites Western audiences.”

It is alleged that Indian movies do not honestly portray Indian traditions. Choudhary thinks this is somewhat justified, since traditions live on mainly in the rural areas of India. “Most of the current directors have been raised in Bombay, other metros or abroad. What they have seen is what they make - metro-oriented films.”

With the cash flow introduced by corporate houses, the conservative cinema of yesterday is giving way to films that take chances.

Whatever the story is about, Choudhary believes in happy endings. “They give hope and lift a person’s spirits.”

Something Choudhary notes as a weakness in the Indian film industry is that “we tend to repeat ourselves, use oral contracts and provide no insurance … So many times we’ve performed in situations where we could have lost our lives or broken our legs. Spot and light boys have lost their lives, and there is very little done about it.”

Another practice that is compromising quality, according to her, is actors doing multiple films simultaneously. “It’s much better for the character if we work in continuity. That also wastes a lot less energy,” Choudhary said. “We are human, and the camera catches when we’re not being honest to the character.”

She commends the Indian censor board: “If the censor board had not been there I know things would have really gotten out of hand.”

Since she believes in doing good cinema, Choudhary is open to international offers. She has her favorites: “Mel Gibson is charming, Tom Cruise is pure heart, Robert De Niro is a great actor and so is Pierce Brosnan.”

“I wouldn’t mind being part of the Austin Powers series. They are such fun to watch, and Mike Meyers is really funny.”

Among directors her obvious choice is Steven Spielberg: “No one knows what he’s coming up with, and everyone waits for his films.”

Before leaving, Choudhary shared her impression of Los Altos. “This area is so pretty … There are great shops. I wonder why I missed this part the last time I was here.”