Interview : Celina Jaitley

Celina Jaitley has as many as seven releases lined up in the next few months. To top it all, Celina gets ready to shoot for her second international venture, THE QUEST OF SHEHERZADE and awaits the release of the first LOVE HAS NO LANGUAGE. Amidst all these the actress finds time to talk on films, activism for the gays and Feroz Khan, her mentor who passed away recently. 

Hi, finally I got you to speak. You must be keeping quite busy? 
(Laughs), Yes, I am really busy even though my last film GOLMAAL RETURNS released last year. It's more than six months now but that's fine. I think this is the right time for my next film to hit the theatres and I am all geared up. I am busy shooting for another film. The last few days have really brought quite a change in my life. 

'I am a straight with all the curves ...'

Yes... I know. It must be for Feroz Khan's death. You must be very saddened. 
(Goes silent and low on the pitch) I am really saddened. Mr Khan was not only my mentor but much more than that. He was like a father figure to me. He is the man for whom I am here today and I can never deny that. I was like his family member and his family was like my local guardian in Mumbai. He was someone I always looked up to... a person with a great personality. There won't be another one like him and I will always miss him. 

You in fact were one of the first one to reach his residence in Bangalore leaving behind your shoot... 
What else could I have done! Though we had this knowledge over the last two years that he was slowly going to succumb to cancer and we were mentally prepared but such news is always a shock. I was shooting in Delhi and got the news at midnight and in the morning there wasn't anything else but to fly down to his residence. I still remember how strong he was during his last days. He was the same as I have known him since the days of JANASHEEN. He wanted to remake QUARBANI with Fardeen (Khan) and me and the last time I met him two weeks ago he said, ''Celina Baby, I want to make QUARBANI with you but see what have the doctors done to me.'' I will never forget his affection towards me. 

CHECK OUT: I wait to meet Feroz Khan again

So, it must be a difficult time for you getting back to work. 
But one has to get back to life. He will be missed. I am still coping up with the news and so is his family. I have already got back to shooting. 

In fact you also had to receive a lot of flak after you showed you support towards gays during the launch of Bombay Dost. 
I really don't care what people are saying. I have always displayed my affection and concern towards gays and I don't think there's anything wrong about it. Why can't they lead a normal life like us? I have always been a gay right activist...for long since my modeling days in Kolkata. People have even started calling me gay and are sending me hate mails but I think it's because I am the first celebrity in India to stand by their side. What I want to say that I am always with them and will always be with them. (Laughs and laughs) I am a straight person with lots of curves.