It's a film, not glamour, which matters in long run: Gracy Singh

New Delhi, Nov 13 (UNI) Hers was an extremely promising debut in the Oscar-nominated 'Lagaan', sharing screening space with a star like Aamir Khan.

Gracy Singh's big ticket debut in 'Lagaan' was followed by ''high profile'' films like 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' and 'Gangajal', where she shared screen space with big stars like Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan.

However, seven year after 'Lagaan', this pretty girl next door finds herself pipped to the big league by glamorous girls like Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu and Deepika Padukone.

As she awaits her next release 'Deshdrohi', a film based on recent attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra, Gracy Singh says she is satisfied by the progress her career has taken since 'Lagaan'.

''I am extremely satisfied at my journey from 'Lagaan' to my latest film 'Deshdrohi' which I feel has been a wonderful one. I am happy to have been a part of all my films be it 'Lagaan', 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', 'Gangaajal' or the latest 'Deshdrohi'. What makes me happy is that people have liked all the projects that I have been a part of,'' Gracy told UNI in an interview.

For Gracy it does not matter one bit that today glamour girls like Bipasha, Mallika Sherawat, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra are hogging more media limelight compared to her.

''I consider things like glamour very temporary and something that does not matter in the long run. In the long term it is a great film or a character that people remember or recall. For example a film like 'Lagaan' has been etched in public memory because of it being nominated for the Oscars. I am happy at the success of all my films,'' Gracy said.

On her disappearance from screen for a long time, the actress said, ''I never went away from the silver screen. The huge gap in my on screen appearances happened because there was a delay in release of many of my flicks.'' Right now, Gracy is pretty excited about her role in 'Deshdrohi', a film which deals with the hot and burning issue of increasing number of attacks on North Indians in various parts of Maharashtra, especially Mumbai.

''In 'Deshdrohi' I play this role of a brave and independent girl who supports this innocent guy who is termed as deshdrohi (traitor) after he protests the hate campaign against North Indians by the local Marathi speaking people in Mumbai. She is not scared of standing up to what is right,'' she says.

Talking about the film, where Gracy will be seen doing many action stunts the likes of which only heroes are seen to do in films, the actress says, ''what was great about 'Deshdrohi' was the fact that along with giving this message, the film is an out and out entertainer an example of what one can call a complete cinema.'' Doing the action scenes in the film was an especially exciting feeling.

''Doing the action scenes in 'Deshdrohi' was a learning experience for me. I had never imagined that as a heroine I would get to do such scenes and carry them off. I have always had a desire to do such scenes in a film some day,'' she says.

Her coming films also have her in interesting and varied roles.

''Right now, I have an extremely challenging role in 'Aseema', a film which has me playing a woman who traverses a journey from a teenager to a middle aged person. Based on a novel called 'Gudiya', 'Aseema' is about a woman who carves out a distinct niche for herself in society. Basically, it is a film about the current status of women in Indian society,'' Gracy said.

Among her other films in the pipeline is comedy called 'Dekh Bhai Dekh' and a bilingual Hindi-Punjabi film called 'Choodiyan'.

''What is interesting about these films is that hey have me in characters that are different from one another,'' she says. The actress said that every film of her had been a learning experience.

''For me every film is a learning institute. Infact, I feel that for an actor doing films is a never ending learning experience.

As an actor I have not obtained any formal training but learnt acting while doing films and television,'' Gracy said.

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