Payal Rohatagi came to the film industry armed with a good academic background.
A Computer Science graduate from Ahmedabad, Payal had endorsements coming her way after she won Supermodel Miss Tourism in 2002. She was seen in ad campaigns for Dabur, Nescafe, Bajaj, L.G. and Britannia, to name a few, getting her break in films with Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai the same year.
Despite many ads and films like 36 China Town, Corporate, Heyy Babyy, Ugly aur Pagli and Dil Kabaddi, Payal is best remembered as a contestant on Bigg Boss Season 2.
Payal can now be WIseen in the daily soap Mr. and Mrs. Mishra on Sahara One.
Excerpts from an interview:
The clear line between the vamp and heroine has vanished. Is there scope for ‘item girls’ today? Virtually every heroine is also doing special songs in films.
Yes, with time there is a change in every industry, and the entertainment industry is directly dependent on the audiences views, which is why films with grey characters are now being made. Songs will always be a part of Bollywood as Indians relate to music and dance for understanding the narration of the film. In fact, there is more scope for item girls to make it as actors as there is no perception being drawn as more established actors are doing one-song appearances.
Your career has been a mix of films with top-notch directors like Madhur Bhandarkar and relatively lesser-known ones. Has it been a deliberate strategy?
I have worked with Madhur, Abbas-Mustan and Priyadarshan and also some lesser-known directors at the start of my career. Not being from the film industry, I have learnt from my own mistakes, so it is a deliberate decision to work with bigger and established names in the industry as I then know I am in good hands.
Of late you have not been seen on screen as frequently as earlier. Have you become choosy about the roles you do?
In September my television thriller series directed by Anubhav Sinha, called Mr. and Mrs. Mishra, went on air. So, it’s quality not quantity for Payal Rohatagi at this stage. My last release was Dil Kabaddi with Irrfan Khan in December, after Bigg Boss. So I guess I am in a good place. I am trying to follow Aamir Khan’s footsteps by doing one film at a time.
If you are asked to appear in Sach Ka Saamna, will you accept the offer? And if do, will you betelling the truths of your life in public?
No way! I do not spill my personal life in public. I could have spilled enough beans post Bigg Boss, but I chose to keep quiet as there is a limit to what the audiences should know about your personal life.
