Beautiful unfolding

People remember her as the dusky, likable Janet from the film Fashion — The tall, quiet model who lent an important insight into the world of glamour on the ramp.

Model-actress Mugdha Godse hit a chord with the audience again with her celebrity presence in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi (Season 5). “I come from a simple Maharastrian family based in Pune,” she says, crossing her long legs as we sit down in her airy apartment, a new high-rise in Andheri, Mumbai. “My parents often visit me here, as does my sister Madura with her kids. I love spoiling my nieces,” she says.

Mugdha is one of the most sought-after supermodels in the country today. After she made her mark at the Gladrags Megamodel Hunt in 2002, she wowed the natives as the Miss Ten title clincher in the Femina Miss India contest in 2004. “I call myself God’s favourite child,” she smiles. “I started out with virtually nothing and today, I have made a mark for myself. I am an independent, successful woman in Mumbai. I am very happy with the way my career has panned out. No regrets.”

Being a part of the film world has taught Mugdha many lessons. “On how to survive ‘seasonal’ friends, how to stay grounded and connected with my loved ones. Working with the accomplished filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has taught me nuances of acting. I have tried to better my performance in every subsequent project,” she says with honesty. Her hectic shooting schedules and showstopper appearances on the ramp leave her with little time to relax. But Mugdha makes time for yoga and meditation to stay calm and connected with her soul, amidst the humdrum of city life.

Chilling out in spurts between her packed shooting calendar means catching up with her friends at a flurry of favoured restaurants in the vicinity, all at a walking distance, thanks to her centrally located building. “All my shoot locations are closeby as well,” she shares. “I like reading and usually reach out for self-help and motivational books. I am a film buff, too, and watch movies on my wall-sized screen at home. It is an important learning process for me as an actor, as is catching up on international classics. I love curling up on the sofa in my living room and watching films with my friends,” she confesses.
Despite her enviable fame, Mugdha stands knitted to her family. “I love eating simple home-cooked Maharastrian food, a wish that my mother fulfils easily,” she laughs. Being a vegetarian, she finds enough options on the menu to order for parties that she hosts at home.

Meanwhile, on the anvil are many new projects. Right now, Mugdha is busy promoting her next film, Kaagaz Ke Fools, with Vinay Pathak, where she plays the role of a typical Delhi housewife in a non-glamorous avatar. Opposed to this ethnic outing, her other film, Bezubaan, centres around the hazards of online chatting in today’s cyberspace.
Are we going to see her as a celebrity judge on a reality show soon? The answer to that she refuses to divulge!