"Yes, 2003 has been rather exciting, career wise," says the star, who’s finally got the carping critics noting more than her sensuous frame. Her rendition of the possessed, terrified woman in Bhoot seems to have finally put to rest her glamorous, sexy siren image that had seduced moviegoers in flick after flick. "I disagree," she says. "I may have shaken my backside in films and looked drop-dead gorgeous but I have done much more than that. Actors tend to rest on their laurels – I have tried to do something different in each of my films, be it a role, a scene…or just a dance. So I’ve never felt the need to veer towards art cinema because I am perhaps one of the few mainstream actresses who’s done so much within the masala groove."

Her desire to be different explains her rather traumatised appearance in Bhoot. Stressing that "it is important for me to do something that excites me from the beginning to the end," Urmila admits that she was hooked outright when she heard the script of the supernatural thriller. "It is perhaps the first Indian ghost movie without terrifying technical effects. There are no bodies floating endlessly in the air, heads revolving grotesquely or flimsy figures in white. The couple is modern and as their disbelief turns to conviction, the fear is expressed from within, a case of histrionics alone."

Though admitting laughingly that, "I don’t believe in ghosts as human beings are far scarier," Urmila recalls being spooked by her reel-life existence. "I am normally a switch-on, switch-off actress. I don’t let my on-screen traumas affect my mental peace at home. But during Bhoot, I do not remember anything of what I did beyond the sets. I went for social functions, met people, all like a zombie. So affected was I by my trauma on screen."

Bhoot proved that Urmila had stormed the box-office turnstile as an actress and established her ability to go beyond body language and emote effectively. "I resent the allegation that I cannot act," her eyes flash again, this time in the bright rehearsal hall. "I have never been just a pretty face on screen. With every film of mine, people have discovered that I could do something different. Khoobsurat showed that I had a sense of comedy; in Judaai I was part of a mature love story…and don’t forget Kaun? My critics discovered that I could be scary as well, and, as a woman obsessed with her love, my feelings were frighteningly obvious in Pyar Tune Kya Kiya."

Her emotions came to the surface in real life during a touching visit to the Wagah border, where she broke down while interacting with the soldiers…. With her elder brother, Kedar, in the Air Force, Urmila’s feeling for the army men is understandable. "They are the true heroes our country can boast of," she says proudly.

Punjab is the setting of her recent film, Pinjar, based on Amrita Pritam’s novel, which showcases the actress as a Punjabi girl in the Partition days. Offering her ample scope to show her artistic aptitude, the movie depicts the turmoil faced by a girl abducted by a Muslim youth. ‘Puro’ returns to a society that looks at her with suspicion. The girl changes due to that one act which has marked her. "We lived in costume right through the making of the film to enable us to get under the skin of the characters," reflects Urmila. "I truly feel that it is unfair that women bear the brunt of circumstances. My understanding of feminism comes through Puro. I myself am tremendously modern and not from Punjab. I went through a learning experience, cleansing my mind to isolate myself to that time. And it showed the director, Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s confidence in me that he chose to cast me in his period film."

A faith that perhaps stems from her belief in getting under the skin of her character, every time. She believes in changing her look in all her movies to suit her on-screen persona. "I do not want to make it to the well-dressed list. I try and emulate the character I am playing and not Urmila, the actress. Remember, looks can take you so far, no further. In fact, if you are not so good-looking, you are taken more seriously as an actress," she sighs.

But, she adds, after a well-timed sip of water, "I am a mainstream actress, it is my job to look good, dance beautifully, act competently and, of course, be convincing at the end of it all. I do not have the luxury of walking into a party scene without make-up. When I did Kaun? my producers freaked out as they thought I was taking a risk by doing something different. But if a Shah Rukh Khan can do Darr, why can’t an Urmila do a Kaun?"

True…but for a long time the Maharashtrian mulgi turned marquee siren was talked about largely for her Mast curves, her oozing oomph on screen. Her dance sequences and item numbers made her a favourite pin-up girl for fans across the country and abroad. "Touché," she counters quickly. "To tell you a secret, I am against item numbers. I did Chamma chamma (China Gate), only because Raj(ji) (Raj Kumar Santoshi) emotionally blackmailed me into taking it on. And, once I’d said ‘Yes’, I gave of my best."

In fact, in her early films, Urmila was more of a physical presence on screen. Hot stuff was the unanimous verdict. Surprisingly, the star listens patiently, without again rushing into a tirade about the unfairness of it all: "What is wrong with having sex appeal? Being sensual is an essential part of being a woman," says the perfectly contoured lady. "But, your pout or jeans do not make you sexy. A woman’s sex appeal lies in her attitude. I have worn simple saris in Satya and people have said that I looked ‘Wow’!" Her own attractions, she elaborates, "are not in my pout, even though nowadays every actress is copying the Urmila pout. Though my pout had almost become the national pastime, my sex appeal actually lies in my eyes."

And therein lies the secret of her on-screen sizzle. Urmila goes this far and no further, for though ‘completely at ease with my sensuality’ she is not at all comfortable kissing or going nude on screen. "Passion is best expressed through your eyes, which is what I have always done. Look at Bhoot closely, there is no upfront kissing, even in the staircase scene. I feel strongly that you do not have to go through the nitty-gritty to look passionate. I am not judgmental about what others do, but I have my strong dos and don’ts. I sometimes feel I am a big prude."

She insists that she is a very private person as well. Her stint in the industry has transformed her from an introvert to a more open person. "After I became successful, it became important to talk to people around me, so that I was not misunderstood. But, some things I keep to myself. I don’t give my nickname to the press, only my family and friends know it. There are actresses who can walk into a flight, comfortable with the knowledge that everyone knows what was happening in their bedrooms, early in the morning. But that is just not me!"

So, would the privacy-obsessed star hide any signs of romance brewing in her life? Off late, rumours were afloat about a new ‘secret’ man in her life. "Rubbish," she dismisses all such talk. "I am not seeing anyone right now. I have been too busy working and establishing myself to give time for a relationship to develop. Believe it or not, all my friends are my old ones. I have no close pals in the industry. It is difficult for two actresses to be friends; we are on the move all the time. So, tell me, would our work schedule give us the time to find our man?"

Marriage has crossed her mind though but there is ample time for the thirty-something actress to find Mr Right and settle down. "Though it is lovely being single, I feel I am mentally ready for marriage now. But I believe that it will happen only when it is destined to."

For a long time, it seemed as if she had found the love of her life since gossip had linked her to a director who signed her often for his films – Ram Gopal Varma. "Initially, I did react strongly to all that talk," her words come out in a rush. "But I am no longer affected by such rumours. Just because we have worked together so often and so successfully, does not mean that we are having a torrid affair. I have definitely been lucky in the films I did with him, but I am not associated with him or his camp. In fact, Ramuji does not believe in camps himself. It is just that he is comfortable working with a few artistes like Manoj Bajpai, Fardeen Khan…and me."

Gossip is an inseparable part of Bollywood, as is the notorious casting couch which actresses are exposed to, particularly those who have come from non-filmi backgrounds. "I was a child artiste before I became an actress and I still found the world of movies a difficult and strange place to be in." And yet, she insists that she was not propositioned. Seeing me eye her sceptically, she reinforces the fact: "It is true. It all depends on the vibes you send across. With my attitude and upbringing, I don’t think anyone would have dared approach me with an indecent proposal."

Even after her years in the glamorous world, she still feels much of an outsider. "I have many traits that are atypical here. I am irritatingly punctual and a perfectionist. How many people in the film industry turn up on time? Being an outsider meant that I had to rise or fall on my own steam. A star son creates more expectations, but he is definitely given more chances than someone like me. It is now or never, you are quickly written off."

Luckily for her – and her fan following in India and abroad – Urmila stuck it out, till she hit big time. Today, she can afford to look back and laugh at how much of a greenhorn she was. "I started very early," she is refreshingly honest. "I wasn’t really ready for full-fledged movies, you could see the enthusiasm coming out of my ears. At that time, I needed to understand what my plus and minus points were. Fortunately, I did not have to struggle per se. It was an ongoing process and I am still picking up the ropes."

The initial flak did not dim her enthusiasm and she continued almost doggedly picking her way through the movie maze. "I was being criticised for everything – the movies I did, my looks, my dress sense. But I am not a very pessimistic person. I take difficulties in my stride. And today, as a person, I am not a failure. At the end of the day, I am a more refined, better human being."

Will the real Urmila stand up? When she looks at herself in the mirror, all alone, what does she see? "Early, in the morning, a clean face, sleepy-eyed, without make-up," she says. "There are many things about myself that I do not like. I would like to change my shape and be as slim as Kate Moss! Otherwise, I am such a normal person. In my free time I love reading and watching movies. No particular preferences of either, anything will do."

Personally, she has matured. Professionally, too, she has broken the barrier, matching talent with talent with senior actresses like Sridevi, Rekha and now Shabana Azmi in Tehzeeb. "When I worked with her in Masoom, I was a child. I did not know what acting was all about. Today, in Tehzeeb, we are at each other’s throats like cats. The film is about the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship."

She is due to airdash to New Jersey for a start to finish schedule for Tanuja Chandra’s English film, Hope and a Little Sugar, set against the backdrop of 9/11. The love story of a Muslim boy and a Sikh girl poses her new challenges to overcome: "You cannot sit back with a laidback attitude and expect to hit bullseye. You have to go through the rigmarole, work hard, gamble a bit… and you then end up with something like Bhoot and Pinjar. And, at the end of it, I can chuckle a little at what has gone before. For, after all the bad stuff – the criticism and the brickbats – the bouquets do finally arrive!"

_{Make-up by: Doris and Bharat Godambe; Clothes Courtesy: White and pink mul sequined kurti with linen trousers, by Monisha Jaising; pink brocade mojaris, by Rohika Mistry; off-white chikan blouse, by Payal Jain; lime green crushed skirt with sequins, by Aki Narula, at Ensemble; onyx ring, at Amar Gems.}