Heena Panchal “I do not mind flaunting my body”

Beautiful model and actress Heena Panchal seems to be sensationalizing the Bollywood industry with her bold and raunchy photo shoots. The glamorous diva is seen rising the temperature meter with her sexy and seductive looks, making the winter season hotter with her look. Looking extremely gorgeous in every photo, Heena is well known in Bollywood, Tamil and Telugu industry for her Item songs like Mohalle Mein Hookah, Bewda Bewda, Mohalla, Bebo Bebo, Raju O Raju, Bogan, Takmak Takmak etc. With her shapely long legs, dazzling deep eyes and washboard abs, this flawless lassie is seducing the camera and one can’t help but comment on her enigmatic beauty and uber-styled looks. Heena Panchal talks to Jyothi Venkatesh about her journey.

What attracted you towards films?
I basically hail from a middle class family from Thane. Though I was a mechanical engineering student and had no inclination to take up acting, my life took a U turn when my dad had a financial crisis when his business collapsed and I had to bail him out of that by taking a call as the eldest child of the family

How?
Though in my wildest of dreams I never ever imagined that I would enter the world of glamour, I had to make my entry in films as a background dancer when a friend of mine suggested that I should take up work as a group dancer especially since dancing was a hobby of mine right from my childhood. I got my break as a dancer in Rohit Shetty’s Sunday with Ganesh Acharya as the choreographer. Daisy Shah and Jyoti Kamble were his assistants.

How many days did you face the camera for Sunday as a group dancer?
I shot for 10 days and was part of not one or two but three dances and ended up making a cool Rs 25,000 for three songs in a span of 10 days since I was not a member of the association.

You then migrated to the South!
Rozano Dsouza was a co-coordinator who was handling South projects. He asked me to be a member of the association and got me some films down South as a group dancer. The first choreographer for whom I danced was choreographer cum director Prabhu Dheva’s younger brother Raju Sundaram. I then danced for choreographers like Prabhu Deva and Chinni Prakash. I realized that body language was a must for loud and fast numbers that they did down South and learnt it by observing the great masters at work

When did you graduate to being a dance assistant?
It was again Ganesh Master who asked me to be his assistant when he was choreographing for Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani. I assisted Ganesh Master with Jaishri since Daisy Shah had left him by then. With Ganeshji, I was also an assistant in Special 26

You also turned an item dance number girl with Welcome Back!
Ganeshji gave me the 20: 20 item number in Welcome Back. I used to teach Sambhavna Seth the steps when director Aneez Bazmi suggested that I should step in as the sixth dancer in the song. After dong a lot of song and dance numbers down South, I went on to do a solo dance in a Bengali film when Kushal Digin offered the opportunity to me. I did a solo dance number for Saroj Khan for Babuji Ek Ticket Bambai. We shot the number in a real bar in Mira Road

Why did it take you a long time to take up acting as a career?
To tell you the truth, acting was never my forte though I had immense confidence when it came to dancing in front of thousands of crowds. I was a bundle of nerves when I came to know that I had to dance for Sarojji because earlier she had once abused me when I went wrong step-wise for some films but she did not recognize me at all when I performed for Babuji Ek Ticket Bambai

What was the biggest that you received from Saroj Khan?
The biggest compliment that I received from Saroj Masterji was when she commented that I looked like Malaika Arora. Not only that but she even offered food from her own plate when we sat down for lunch during the break.

Do you like being compared to Malaika Arora?
I appeared in one episode of Season 6 of India’s Most Talented as Malaika’s special appearance. Initially I did not like the comparison at all, because though she is a model like me, she has never acted while I am acting.Malaika Arora is fading out while I am just now zooming in towards Bollywood in a big way.

How open are you for acting for a web series?
I have asked my friend to talk to Vikram Bhatt to cast me in his web series. I do not mind doing a brazen role for his web series. I am working a lot on toning my body. If I appear in a sizzling two piece bikini, it will also be on a different scale and level

How open are you to shed your clothes on the screen?
Today Bollywood also has become almost like Hollywood. There is no difference at all though earlier, bed room scenes and hot kisses were only part of Hollywood and not Bollywood. I’d like to hear the script properly before I agree to a scene which requires me to be nude. You are born naked and you will go naked in your last journey and clothes are after all man made. If nudity is shown suggestively to attract people, I am game. Like in the web series Games of Throne. If God has given me a body like this, I do not at all mind flaunting it on the screen. I’d love to make love to the camera. I psyche myself in front of the camera which makes me do things which I do not do in real life.

How would you describe yourself as a person?
I am a very friendly person with an easy going attitude. Attitude isn’t my scene and I am very down to earth. Though I am out and out an Indian at heart, my nature is western. I know that it is good as well as bad.Though I had a guy in my life earlier, we broke up when he married some other girl. Frankly I would say that I have moved on and am enjoying my singlehood right now.

What is your view on virginity today?
In today’s times, I would say that no one is a virgin at all. A 13 year old girl in a school is also not a virgin and if any one says that she is a virgin, I’d only say that I am not a c…… to accept it blindly. Virginity is not a big deal any more since you can always use protection to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

Which according to you are your five best films?
Shentimental (Marathi), Jaane Kyon Na Denge Yaar, Babuji Ek Ticket Bambai, Road Fighter and Pelki Mundhi Prem Katha (Telugu)

Who are your favorite actors in Bollywood?
Ranveer Singh. Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are my favorites. I vibed very well with Ranveer when I was part of the song Tattar Tattar in Ram Leela and also did Kill Bill as an assistant.

Which are the film makers in your wish list?
I have Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Mohit Suri in my wish list. I want to act in films directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Mohit Suri.The best thing about Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sir is that he has the capacity to make you cry in front of people. I want to feel that experience by acting in a film, under his direction. Even a song like Ghoomar in Padmavati has a lot of intensity when he directs it

What next?
I am playing the main lead in Akshay Anandd’s Jaane Kyun De Yaaron, biopic Red Hot and Sharad Singh Thakur’s Zara Sambhal Kar in which I am essaying the role of a Muslim girl. I am also doing an erotic dance number in a Marathi film called Jhol Jhaal.