Gul Panag – who has movies like Summer 2007, Hello Darling, Hello and Straight lined up for release – is all set to add a novelist’s tag to her list of career achievements.
“Till November this year, I am busy with the projects I have taken on. In December I’ll take a holiday. And after that I will start working on my novel. I always find it fascinating how authors take a break, go to a lovely location, ideate and write,” says Gul.
She, however, refuses to divulge details about the story and publisher. Moving on she talks about acting and says she wants to break free from her stereotype serious actor image.
Gul has done a couple of steamy scenes in Hello, where she plays a glam-doll. She says, “Even in Dor my
first shot was a lovemaking one with Rushad Rana.”
She further adds, “In Hello, I play the character of a seductress. So I wear high heels, short skirts and dresses and have flowing straight hair. There is a lot of sensuousness to my character. Versatility as an actor is important. I don’t want to be typecast as an actor who does only female-oriented movies. I would love to play a character like Pooh in Kabhi Khushi, Kabhi Gham.”
She expresses desire to work with Karan Johar, Rajat Kapoor, Aamir Khan. She quickly adds, “I think calling Aamir Khan an actor would be limiting his ability.”
On a slightly nostalgia trip, Gul talks about her bond with director Suhail. “I started my career with the TV series Kashmeer. We would start shooting from 9 am and stretch till about 10 pm and then again reach the sets by 8 am the next day. Suhali is my oldest friend in the city. Whatever I know about acting today is all because he has groomed me,” she says.
However, she has no definite plans to return to television. “I think series such as 24 or the Lost would be interesting to work on. Otherwise, the regular show formats get quite repetitive. Hosting a show would also be a good idea.”
Gul gets serious when we question her about being single. “Maybe I am seeing someone, maybe I am not. I wouldn’t like to talk about it. My aunt once told me that it always pays to be written about on your work rather than your personal life. Many actors don’t subscribe to the theory but I am not one of those who is in her lean phase of work life. After five years, I would definitely be settled with someone I love,” she signs off this note.
