Mishti with Salman in Subhash Ghai’s next

Mishti whose debut in Kaanchi has been received lukewarmly by critics and by the audience is all set to do another film with Subhash Ghai. This time her co-star would be Salman Khan. Far from being fazed Subhash Ghai’s latest discovery says all the flak has made her stronger and wiser over one weekend. Says the spirited Bengali girl, “It’s is said, what can’t break you makes you stronger. These last few days have matured me. It’s amazing how one weekend can change one’s entire life. Today I feel stronger than I did earlier. I think I’ve grown up.” Not that Mishti is overjoyed by the response to the film. “That’s one year of my life. During the last one year I did nothing except Kaanchi. It was my life. Now there is a feeling of disappointment at the way some critics have responded to the film and my presence. There is also a vacuum within me, as I’ve nothing else lined up at the moment.” Responding to the criticism that she is awkward and shrill in the film Mishti retorts sardonically, “I play a village girl. I don’t play a city-bred chick who knows how to modulate her voice and walk as though she’s on the ramp. I walk and speak clumsily because that’s the way my director Subhashji conceived my character. She is not sophisticated like Aishwarya Rai in Taal.” Mishti finds the comparisons with Aishwarya unfair. “Kaanchi is my first film. I am learning. I am trying to understand the grammar of film acting. Luckily for me I got a fantastic teacher in Subhash Ghaiji. Whatever I know about acting comes from him.” She is getting ready to do another film with Subhash Ghai. “I’ve a 3-film deal with Subhashji. Even if I didn’t have that to fall back on I wasn’t going to leave just because people criticized my first film. I’ve several offers in Bangla. But I am not shuttling back and forth between Kolkata and Mumbai to keep my career going. I’ll stay put in Mumbai fight my way through the criticism that has come to me for Kaanchi.” Mishti doesn’t mind the flak. “Why should I take it to heart? Whatever is being said must be the result of careful thought. I’ve taken some of the criticism seriously. I will work to improve myself.”