Urmila Matondkar says her acting was dismissed as ‘sex appeal’ despite Rangeela being huge-hit

New Delhi: Actress Urmila Matondkar began her career as a child artist with films like  Karm and Masoom. Unlike many others, that actress also managed to be a successful actress after growing-up. Her film ‘Rangeela’ that also starred Aamir Khan and Jackie Shroff is considered a cult and has given hit songs like ‘Hai Rama’. The actress now turned politician however reveals that she was not appreciated for her acting skills in the film and her performance was simply dismissed as ‘sex-appeal’.

“Post Rangeela, people said that everything I did was about sex appeal and nothing to do with acting,” she told Times of India.

 

 

 

 

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Urmila said portraying sexy is also acting and continued, “How can the song, Hai Rama, happen without a person being a performer? Is doing a tear-jerking scene only acting? Appearing sexy also demands acting. I was not playing Miss Nothing in the film. My character of the girl-next-door transforms through each song of the film, which the critics didn’t understand”.

The actress said despite the success of the film not a ‘single decent word’ was written about her performance.

“Someday, I’d love to take their names and what all they called me. Even after being part of such a huge hit, forget awards, I didn’t have a decent word written about me. My clothes, my hair… everything was given credit but me,” she said.

Despite lack of recognition, Urmila said being in front of the camera is a spiritual experience for her.

“Girls who gave 13 flops, girls who were said to look like ‘boys’ with nothing woman-like about them, girls who did double meaning songs with heroes… were considered actors. But for me, being in front of the camera was a spiritual experience. To have Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar sing for me was by itself a victory. I didn’t need awards,” she shared.

Known for films like Judaai, Satya, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, Bhoot and Ek Hasina Thi Urmila Matondkar had joined politics with the Indian National Congress Party in 2019. She quit the party after five months of joining and later got a ticket from the Shiv Sena.