Madhurima Tuli, who has made a special identity in shows like ‘Baby’, ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ and ‘Bigg Boss’, will soon be seen in the film ‘Tehran’ with John Abraham. On this occasion, she had a special conversation with Dainik Bhaskar. Read some important excerpts from the interview… It is being heard that you are going to be seen in the film ‘Tehran’. How did you get associated with this project? In ‘Tehran’, I am playing the role of John Abraham’s wife. This is a very beautiful role, which is the heart and soul of the family. I enjoyed working with everyone during the shooting of this film. The film also stars Manushi Chillar and Neeru Bajwa. It is being produced by Maddock Films and the experience of working with the entire team was very wonderful. Suddenly I was contacted for this project. The shooting of the film was already going on and I got a call at the last minute. First I was asked about my dates and some scenes were given to read. After that, there was no call for some time, but after about two weeks I was told that I have been finalized for this film. That moment was very happy for me. I met everyone for the first time only after reaching the set. I had not met anyone before that. Later I came to know that the team liked my character in ‘Baby’ very much and on that basis they selected me for this project. The film was shot in Delhi, which lasted for about 5-6 days. It was not a very long shoot. I had also jokingly told them to increase my role a bit, because I was enjoying the shooting a lot. But I played the character that was there. After ‘Baby’, did you ever get any other offer from Neeraj Pandey or Akshay Kumar? I currently have no information about the sequel or spin-off of ‘Baby’ whether it is being made or not. Yes, a spin-off of ‘Baby’, ‘Naam Shabana’ was definitely made and a clue was also left at the end of ‘Baby 2’. I have even requested Neeraj sir to make ‘Baby 2’. I have not received any direct approach from Akshay sir after ‘Baby’. But I hope that some proposal will definitely come in the future, because there is a lot of possibility of moving forward in that story. What kind of characters do you want to play in the future? Till now I have played many types of characters. Some bubbly, some serious and some challenging too. Going forward, I am looking for such characters which are not only strong but also play an important role in the story. I believe that a good character is the one which takes the story forward and leaves its mark on the hearts of the audience. I want to explore such characters which give the message of women empowerment or raise any important issue related to the society. Apart from this, I am also interested in working in psychological thrillers and suspense-filled stories. Do you have any such project in which you will be seen in the lead role? I have an Amazon show titled ‘One Point 40’. I am very excited about this project because my character in it is full-fledged. The entire story of this show revolves largely around my character. My role is not just limited to a supporting role or a few scenes, but it is an important focal point of the entire plot. In this show, I have got the opportunity to show the layers of my acting. There are many shades in the character, which I have tried my best to play. As an artist, I have got a lot of satisfaction from this project. Its shooting has been completed and it is currently in the post-production phase. Hopefully, this show will be released on Amazon Prime Video this year. Sanjay Kapoor Sir and Arbaaz Khan Sir are also with me in this show. The experience of working with them was also very wonderful. I just heard about one of your projects ‘Bekhabar’. What is it? Bekhabar is a project of our company SVMT, which has been started by my brother. This is a musical short film, directed by my brother Srikanth. The film is the story of a girl who leaves her house after getting angry with her mother. Through her journey and an incident, she realises that family is the most important thing in life. The film was earlier scheduled to release this year, but now it will probably release next year. You have been active in the industry since 2007, but your filmography seems relatively less (compared to others). Is there any special reason behind this? Somewhere I was a little late, maybe a little lazy too. I did not push myself much. I think I should have made a little more effort so that I could do more work. At the time when I was in my peak period, I did not push myself that much. I think it was my own fault. God gave me a lot, but I lacked in pushing myself. My self-proactivity regarding getting work has never been so high. I am known to a lot of people, and because of that, calls for auditions and look tests come automatically. Earlier, I have given a lot of auditions, stood in long lines. Now, if I get a call, I give a look test from home, or if I have to go for an audition, I get a particular time. However, one should never be shy to ask for work, especially when you have worked with someone before. It is absolutely right to call and express the desire to work together again. What benefits did you get from reality shows like ‘Nach Baliye’ and ‘Bigg Boss’? There are benefits from every work. I have come to the industry to work and there are big shows like ‘Nach Baliye’ and ‘Bigg Boss’. If you are fond of dancing, then why not do it? If I refuse it, then why am I in this industry? I have worked a lot on television and if I had refused ‘Nach Baliye’, it would have been wrong of me. Dance is my passion and acting is my dream, so I had to do that. You have also worked in South films. Is there any future project from South? Not in South, but my main focus has always been on Bollywood. I have worked in South, but there is a problem there that you have to shift to Bangalore or Hyderabad to work in the South film industry, which becomes a little difficult. If a good offer comes, I will definitely do it. As of now, no good offer has come.
