By: Dove
—
Actress Mallika Sherawat may be a bit of a mystery to American film audiences, but in her home country of India she is Bollywood royalty. Beaming with an eager, youthful glow, Sherawat co-stars with Brian White in the romantic comedy Politics of Love, which is now available on DVD. Also appearing in the film are veteran actresses Ruby Dee and Loretta Devine, both of whom Mallika reveres.
With nearly a decade of professional modeling gigs and Bollywood feature films under her belt, Mallika (born Reema Lamba) has done her fair share of studying American pop culture to effectively take on more Hollywood roles. We recently got some time on the phone with the beautiful Gen-Xer to find out how she’s making the transition, the ways she feels her new film reflects real-life politics and more!
What are some of the biggest differences between Bollywood and Hollywood?
Mallika Sherawat: I think that there are a lot of differences. First of all, Bollywood films are musicals. Romance and any kind of emotion are beautifully depicted through song and dance in Bollywood. Bollywood is so over the top and larger than life, that’s how the aesthetic is. In Hollywood when I worked on Politics of Love, I thought that the scenes were very real, very organic, and very raw.
I read that you did a lot of training and studying of Hip Hop culture, music, and American pop culture. What were some of the biggest things that you learned through your training?
MS: It is true; I completely immersed myself in the African American culture, pop culture, and studied all of the ethnicities. Politics, I didn’t have a clue about American politics and the Democratic scene and the Republican scene. I spent a lot of time with Kamala Harris, who is half Indian and half African American, the attorney general of San Francisco.
The biggest think that I learned is that American pop culture is completely fearless. They have a right to express whatever they want to express, which I don’t see anywhere else in the world. Definitely not in India. It’s a democracy, but it’s still certain topics that are taboo and so many social stigmas that you really have to be careful what you say. In America, you are free and you are really free in pop culture. I think that it’s really one of the main driving forces.
Do you feel that there is a kind of marriage between American pop culture and our politics?
MS: [laughs]I don’t know if there’s a marriage, but I do believe that pop culture and politics are both influential. Pop culture more influences the youth in a very significant way. The youth all over the world are looking up to all of the pop icons in America. Even in politics, when President Barack Obama was elected, there was a kind of like the world was united.
What do you feel that this movie is going to bring out? You play a liberal and Brian White plays a Republican. What are some issues addressed in the film?
MS: I think that the best part of the movie was that both of the parties were balanced. The director really achieved that. It’s not that the Democrats are better than the Republicans and vice versa. Both parties have a very valid point of view. I thought that was the most unique thing.
Does the film address any of the issues surrounding disdain for Black Republicans?
MS: You do have a Colin Powell, a liberal kind of Republican who really changed the face of the Republicans. By studying, I found out that Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican. The Republicans have their own point of view. The film does address those issues, and Brian White breaks those stereotypes. His boss is a bad, dirty politician, and Brian White’s character tells him that it’s people like him that give politicians a bad name.
You’ve said in past interviews that you wanted to work with people like the Cohen brothers and Quentin Tarantino. Do you feel that by being in Hollywood now you are close to your goals?
MS: It’s every actor’s dream to work with those great, iconic directors. I love, respect, and admire their work. It would be a great opportunity for me if I got the part. What’s really important to me right now is to seek out great material and do a good job in it.
You’re a huge star overseas. As you get bigger in Hollywood, do you have a way that you’re going to cope with fame in a different way?
MS: I love to laugh at things. I majored in philosophy in college, and I’m into yoga and spirituality. Fame may be there today and gone tomorrow. I think that it’s a byproduct of what I love, which is acting. That doesn’t really matter to me. You live and you learn.
How do you incorporate yoga and philosophy into that crazy L.A. life?
MS: I don’t think the life in L.A. is crazy, at least I haven’t experienced the craziness. I think it’s really the [place]for yoga – for vegan food, for all food, it’s really becoming the center of spirituality. Where in the world do you have so many vegan restaurants and yoga centers than L.A.? It’s what you seek. I met so many healthy people here, people that are really into health and yoga. That is inspiring.
What kind of dynamic did you have with the cast in this movie? Were you able to give input on your character?
MS: When you’re sharing the screen with Ruby Dee, who is legendary, and Loretta Devine, who is a phenomenal actress, it’s a little unnerving. I was so nervous in the beginning, but they just take you in. The entire atmosphere on the set was like teamwork. Everyone had one goal in mind, and that was to make a good movie, and to make each and every scene better.
Where can we look for you in the coming months?
MS: I’m reading a lot of material right now. Right now, it’s just Politics of Love. You can see me again in the movie!
Find out more about Mallika Sherawat on her official site MallikaSherawatWow.com and follow her on Twitter @MallikaLA
