Mahie Gill dances through pain for 'Gulaal'

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Dancing for the mujra track "Ranaji" in Anurag Kashyap's "Gulaal" was a pain for Mahie Gill. Literally! She was in severe pain due to a back injury, but she still shot for the song with a smile on her face and wrapped up the shoot in eight hours flat.

"I had hurt my back but by that time the sets were in place, all my co-stars ready and a director who was just so enthusiastic about calling 'action'. I couldn't have backed out at the last minute. So when some people say that they found me quite happy during the song's shoot, I just respond with the smile because the fact is that I was literally crying after every shot," said Mahie who is working with Anurag Kashyap again after "Dev D".

This is not all. Due to production constraints, the film's shoot had to be wrapped up fast. Hence, the number was shot in a record eight hours.

"It was very difficult. There was a doctor stationed at the sets throughout the song's shoot. I was in massive pain and there was a deadline to meet. It has easily been one of my most painful shoots," Mahie told IANS.

What made her job a wee bit easier though were the whacky lyrics of "Ranaji" that brought a smile to her face. The number goes like this: "Rana Ji Mhare Gusse Mein Aaye, Aiso Bal Khaye, Agiya Barsae, Ghabrae Mharo Chain; Jaise Door Desh Ke Tower Mein Ghus Jaaye Aeroplane".

"This is what kept me alive on the sets," laughs Mahie, "The number is as whacky as it gets. In a lighter vein, it manages to make a serious statement about today's socio-economic condition of the world. It makes references to quite a few topics like 9/11, Uncle Sam, Saddam Hussein, Afghanistan, mineral water, democracy etc. Never before has one heard or seen a mujra number like this."

"Ranaji" is not the only mujra track that Mahie has shot for the film. There is another number called "Chakmak" where Mahie has put her bells on. This time around, the deadline was even tougher and the song was picturised in three and a half hours flat.

"And to think of it, I had joined the film's crew just a day before the shoot and hadn't even got a chance to rehearse for it," Mahie said.

She is all praise for her director Anurag Kashyap. "Anything for him", she said. "Even though 'Gulaal' sees me in a small part (I have a special appearance in the film), I didn't think twice about doing it. I respect Anurag for the kind of filmmaker that he is, especially after working with him in 'Dev D' and whenever he calls me, I will work with him again."

Starring Kay Kay Menon, Deepak Dobriyal, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh, Ayesha Mohan, Jesse Randhawa and Piyush Mishra (who is also the composer and lyricist of the film) in principal roles, "Gulaal" is set to release March 13.

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Gulaal