Bruises and hugs - 'Chak De' girls reminisce it all

Gurgaon, Sep 9 (IANS) They giggled and reminisced the nine months of strenuous shooting they went through for "Chak De! India" but it was strange to see the go-getter hockey players of the film shed their sporty look, walk around in stilettos and with make-up on.

Tanya Abrol, better known as the tough Balbir Kaur, was nicknamed 'The Falling Queen' during the shoot, while Shubhi Mehta or Gunjan Lakhani broke her ankle and had her back all black and blue during the hockey practice sessions, the girls revealed.

But life has changed drastically for the bunch of girls.

"Life is different now. Earlier we led a normal life but now we just can't walk on the street without attracting a crowd. It feels great to have people appreciating you and asking for autographs. At the same time it also makes you feel responsible," Shilpa Shukla, who played the fiery Bindiya Naik, told IANS with a smile.

Dressed in a black tee and carrying a smart black leather bag, Shukla, who is an ex-student of Miranda House college in Delhi, was flanked by Arya Menon (Gul Iqbal) on one side and Mehta on the other.

"We are having our celebrity moments now," chirped Menon, dressed in a bright pink t-shirt and blue jeans.

Going back to their days on the field, the girls, who were in Gurgaon for an event, narrated many of their bitter-sweet experiences.

"I was nicknamed the falling queen because when we were running down a hill during the shoot of the song 'Chal zara zara se', I fell five times! I was so embarrassed that I burst into tears," said Abrol, the no-nonsense Balbir of the movie.

"The assistant producer then came up and along with the entire gang cheered me up. They boosted my ego by calling me 'Punjab da puttar'!" she added.

The tiny little canon ball of Haryana, Chitrashi Rawat (Komal Chautala), said that one of her favourite moments in the film was when Shah Rukh Khan picked her up after the team won a match.

"I was thrilled to the core. Shah Rukh sir is simply the best. He helped us give our best performance," said the perky-eyed lass, who hails from Dehradun and has done her bachelors in mass media from Mumbai.

Wearing a maroon dress and big dangling earrings, Rawat said she had to chop off her tresses in order to fit the bill for Komal Chautala.

"Komal is a go-getter who wouldn't let anything stop her. When I am on the field playing hockey, I get into Komal's mould. Otherwise, this is who I am," she remarked, twirling her bangles.

Post "Chak De" the girls are now flooded with movie offers.

"I have signed a movie opposite Abhay Deol. It's called 'Junction' and the shooting will begin next month. I play the role of a girl who is depressed and has suicidal tendencies," Shukla said.

"Although I don't want to leave theatre, I am planning to do more movies because I seriously need some money now!" she added laughingly.

Menon, similarly, has got two movie offers from down south for which shooting will begin in October.

Abrol, on the other hand, plans to complete her studies before venturing out into the entertainment industry.

"I am in my B.A. final year so I will complete my studies before taking up any offer," she said.

Click the Movie button below for more info:
Chak De India