I won’t play a bimbette: Shahana

Shahana Goswami says she’s not averse to playing lead roles, but she won’t compromise on her sensibilities to do so....
You’ve played a lot of diverse characters and have dabbled in different genres. Do you do that deliberately to ensure that you don’t get stereotyped?
I feel very happy to be like that, but it’s never been a conscious decision; it’s always been instinctive.It’s just that interesting work has come my way. The narrative and the character I’m playing are exciting on a subconscious level based on whether or not I’ve done something similar. Then there are things like the director’s vision, the setting and the context that are added to it to make it different.
You mainly play supporting characters. Are you hankering for that seemingly elusive lead role?
It’s not like I don’t get offered lead roles now. I do, but I just say no to them. They’re not roles I’m comfortable with; they’re not in line with my sensibilities. You can’t make a drastic jump. I won’t play arm candy or a bimbette. It won’t work. The transition has to be smoother for me. That’s why I admire Konkona Sen Sharma — she gets lead roles but sticks to her comfort zone.
You’ve said that you wouldn’t do a lead role unless it was with a big banner. Wouldn’t that rule out independent films that would potentially give you meatier lead roles?
I didn’t mean that I wouldn’t do it if it was an independent film. It shouldn’t be a film that falls short in terms of not being promoted enough. You end up being tagged as someone who can’t pull off a lead. My initial film (in a lead role) should get the right kind of visibility. It should continue the credibility I have as an actor.
The reports of you hitting the gym to lose weight, however, make it seem like you’re trying to change your body image to conform with the size-zero ideal...
If you look at the west, there isn’t actually a single actor or actress who’s not fit. It’s not about losing weight; it’s not about trying to become somebody else. It’s more about the fact that there’s a certain level of mental and physical fitness you require to be active enough to work on your films. You need to balance your skills as an actor with a level of fitness, a balance between the mind and the body, and a certain level of presentation. I’m not going to kill myself in the gym. I’m just trying to regularise my life through exercise and yoga and by eating regularly.
Is there a genre you’d like to attempt?
I like the idea of doing a period film, something that requires a change of physical appearance, body language and look. I’ve always thought that a character like Umrao Jaan is a great thing for an actress. You get to showcase so much — you have the period look, the restrained emotion, a turbulent acting space and dance.
Since you have chosen to be open about your relationship with Milind Soman, do you find that it defines you?
I haven’t found that people often ask me about Milind and that’s maybe because I’ve been honest about it. It’s also perhaps because our lives are separate in terms of the kinds of things we do. He’s rarely ever asked about me. I do, of course, get asked about when we’re going to get married, to which I’ve said there’s no such plan.