Kyra Dutt: I Discussed The Nudity Clause With My Parents Before Signing It

Kyra Dutt makes a stunning debut this Friday with Madhur Bhandarkar's Calendar Girls. But the girl's made headlines well before her first release - she has signed a nudity clause with Balaji Telefilms for her next. SpotboyE caught up with the actress, who's already writing her own rules. Excerpts:

You're making your Bollywood debut with four other girls in Calendar Girls. Were you insecure at any point?
I used to wonder what it will be like to have five girls lead the cast, and how their screen time will be justified. I was not insecure. We don't have too many scenes together. We've grown closer during the promotions.


That doesn't answer my query...
It's tough to establish your identity in a big group. But I think I am talented and confident enough to stand out without making myself or anyone else look out of place. I come from a girls' school. I've hung around with my female cousins. So, I get along fine with all the girls.

Do you miss not having a typical Bollywood debut?
No. It's a different debut. Here, girls are stuck up on looking good all the time when they face the camera. I wish they let go of it. Look at the West. Actresses like Charlize Theron have played monsters and looked terrible on screen.


What is the reaction to your debut back home?
My mum is very happy. She was an actress with a Hindi theatre group called Prayas. As a kid, whenever I went to her rehearsals, people would say, 'Heroine ki beti aa gayi'. That lingered in my ears. Deep down in my subconscious, I wanted to become an actress. Mum is interested in what I'm doing and even keeps cut-outs of my interviews. My father is not all that clued in but he's happy.

Weren't you anxious since Madhur Bhandarkar's films are always high on bold content?
I was very nervous. I was on the Kingfisher Calendar 2013. When I heard of the film, I was clear this was my calling. I met Madhur Bhandarkar; he auditioned me on dialogues from Heroine and Fashion. I knew I had nailed my audition. But when I didn't get a call for many days, I lost hope and went back to Kolkata. As luck would have it, then, I got a call from him. When we met again, I cried out of joy and surprisingly, even he had tears in his eyes.



Did your experience as a calendar girl help?
It taught me a lot of things. I let go of my inhibitions and got my postures bang on.

The first poster of the film had all of you posing in bikinis, which created a stir. Why do think wearing a swimsuit is such a big deal?
Sharmila Tagore wore a bikini in the 60s or 70s! I personally don't find anything wrong with wearing a swimsuit on screen. I know that some part of our culture finds wearing swimsuit a taboo. I respect all of it. But we're feminists today and we have 'my choice'. Probably it's made a big deal of because wearing a swimsuit with friends on a beach is different from wearing it for the camera where the lens pans on every single part of your anatomy. One may not necessarily feel comfortable with the latter. But over the years, people will hopefully get over the taboo around wearing a bikini. 



What did your parents say about your calendar shoot and then the film posters that had you posing in a bikini?
I am lucky I have cool parents. They have given me the independence to do what I am doing. They know I won't do anything wrong. I also don't want to let them down. But I'm a modern girl and want to keep pace with time.


You made another bold decision by signing the nudity clause for Balaji Telefilms' XXX. How did it all fall into place?
Working for Ekta Kapoor is a dream. While I was still working on Calendar Girls, I got a call from Balaji. I met Ken Ghosh and he told me about youth erotica, which is unexplored in India. I got cold feet. I couldn't say no to him at the meeting. So I called him later and said that I won't be able to do this.

And then?
He told me that it'd be the biggest mistake of my life. He asked me to come for a narration and I was sold when I heard the story. Yes, the film has a couple of difficult shots. But we shot it all on a closed set, with female ADs and a female DoP. The producer is also a woman. I trusted Ken's judgment. Even our difficult shots were filmed aesthetically. I think it's the right decision.


Did you read the clauses carefully?
I went through it myself. I didn't expect this contract to create such a stir. I believed in what I was doing. Even the audience is bored of heroines doing the same things. As an artiste, I should be able to pull off every kind of role.

Go on...
There are certain things expected of you when you become a heroine. But the successful ones in the industry have succeeded by going against the flow. Priyanka Chopra attempted rape on Akshay Kumar in her first film Aitraaz. It was a bold move but the right choice. Though I didn't like it, I discussed the nudity clause with my parents. They are supportive and I couldn't have made the decision without their approval.


Wouldn't the film face difficulties on the Censor table?
XXX is different from the so-called erotica which has suggestive scenes, vulgar dialogue and explicit language. The film is in the erotica genre but has a story. It has an intimate scene but no vulgarity.

Did you have to keep Madhur in the loop about your second film?
Yep. I was under a three-film deal with his company. But he let me do XXX. His only condition was that XXX should release after Calendar Girls. I kept my word.

Has Ekta also signed you on for three films?
Yes, but I don't want to think too much about it. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch!