Mugdha Godse speaks in real life with a Marathi accent. She had to completely change her tone accent and diction to sound like the high-flying model in Fashion.
Speaking in her forthright way Mugdha says, "I didn’t get it right initially. My voice was sounding nasal and Madhur thought of dubbing it. But I fought back. To me the voice is the mirror of the soul."
Mugdha worked really hard on her voice. "I knew my speaking voice wouldn’t work for my character. I was very particular.
I sat with others from the cast who were far more experienced. And then I dubbed. I’d never ever let someone else dub for me. I sat for Priyanka, Kangana and Kitu Gidwani’s dubbing. Dubbing taught me how to act through my voice.
Fashion showed me, you can’t act with your body. You’ve to act with your voice and mind. Initially I’d jump around on the sets making my presence felt. Finally it has come out right."
Interestingly Mugdha has gone through some of her character’s experiences in the fashion world.
"Some people say Madhur has shown only the dark side of the modellling world. Not true. I think there’s a lot of positivity in the way Priyanka bounces back into the limelight.And my character is a very positive one.Of course in any glamour industry there’s fierce competition, you end up in the wrong hands."
Mugdha admits she was approached by the wrong people to take short cuts. "But I didn’t give in. That’s why it took me three years to establish myself as a model. Many others become successful within a year.
I come from a very middleclass family in Pune. For me and my parents Mumbai was a culture shock. I was very naïve at the start. The Gladrags contest did the trick for me."
Before modeling Mugdha left college and did a series of part-time jobs including one as a gym instructer.
"Actually I knew nothing about gyming. I just wanted free access to gyming. I was just a decoration piece at the gym, " Mugdha admits sheepishly.
"When I came into modeling I had no clue about how to walk and talk, how to do my networking and get noticed. My experiences on the way up kept me grounded. Some girls do get swayed when they get so much at such a young age. You get everything so easily."
Five years as a model and Mugdha Godse has just made a deep impact as an actor in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion.
"I guess only Madhur Bhandarkar knew my true worth. When he offered me the role I didn’t even know I could act. I didn’t want to take the route taken by all models. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself.I surrendered completely to Madhur Sir’s direction."
Mugdha is in no hurry to sign new films. "I’m not very sure whether I’m required to be filmy on not. I got film offers earlier. But nothing that shook me like Fashion. Until I feel it’s right I won’t do it.
I did a jewellery campaign with Madhur Sir. The minute he told me my role I was in. I mean, imagine a model getting a modeling role and such a performing part. I managed those difficult scenes because I didn’t know they were difficult."
She’s happy she wasn’t overshadowed in Fashion by Priyanka or Kangana. "I hope I’m not flattering myself. But I held my own. I was scared to be with these actors. But my meditation helped me to stay calm and focused.
The ramp scenes I could do with my eyes closed. But the acting scenes!.....Many scenes connected deeply with me."
Mugdha plays a woman who marries a gay designer. "In real life I’d never make such a sacrifice. Of course such things do happen. And I think it’s fine. Better an honest marriage without sex than spouses having secret extra-marital affairs. As long as a couple is happy together, how does it matter?’
Her friends from the modeling world saw Fashion and reacted positively. Carol Gracias saw her wardrobe malfunction scene and took it in her stride.
"She is a sporting girl. And Madhur Sir has handled that scene so sensitively. My model friends were very quiet during such scenes. We didn’t discuss it after the film. It would be like probing old wounds."
Mugdha has drastically reduced her modeling assignments. "In any case actors are doing a lot of modeling and many of them behave like models on screen."
She is on the verge of signing another big film which starts mid-November. "If you judge my impact in Fashion through the offers I’m getting, then I’m fine. It’s work all the way for me."
The model-actress bought her own house in Mumbai three years ago. "Now I’m used to living alone. No boyfriend. My work is my boyfriend. No marriage for at least 6-7 years. Love will happen when it has to.
My parents are in Pune. I don’t get to visit them that often. I’ve sister who’s a housewife. We’re poles apart. My parents were shocked by my performance. In my school days I was petrified of taking part in a show. Now all my relatives are wondering where that came from."
