If Madhur Bhandarkar was looking for a young woman who could just walk into the set up of his Calendar Girls, then Akanksha Puri could well qualify as the right person who emerged at the right time at the right place. For someone who wasn’t directly attached to the world of glamour but had witnessed the whole environment up, close and personal, courtesy her job at Kingfisher Airlines, Akanksha came with quite a few stories of her own to be told. While Calendar Girls as a film is waiting to be unveiled, Akanksha insists that it is catering to the youth in a big way.
“It is quite elating to see the manner in which the film is being patronized even before release,” says Akanksha Puri, who – along with Madhur Bhandarkar and the other four leading ladies – has been making the rounds of various colleges across the country, “The kind of response that we are getting is fantastic. People are waiting for the film to release and that’s a great sign. College crowds are talking about it and from what I hear, the film is making waves already. As a newcomer, this is nothing less than a dream come true.”
As an ex-cabin crew member at Kingfisher Airlines, Akanksha has seen the world of Calendar Girls and glamour associated with it, albeit at a distance. Now that she has lived this world, even if that is for reel life, she is pretty much relishing the moments spent with Avani Modi, Kyra Dutt, Ruhi Singh and Satarupa Pyne.
“Well, if you want to see the camaraderie between the five of us then you have to be there during our tours for the film’s promotion,” smiles Akanksha, “The super-fun that we have with each other is to be seen to be believed. Now that we have been together for a year, it is akin to being a family. We were made to feel at home right from Day One at the shoot and for that, we must credit Madhur Bhandarkar for creating such a working environment.”
Hopefully, all of that would rub well on screen too once the film releases all over on 25th September.
