'An award is confirmation I can act\\'.

(From Indian Express)

SHOBANA breezes into the room, apologising even as she walks in. ''Sorry, I didn't think the photo shoot would take up so much time,'' she says by way of explanation for her delayed arrival. But then, ever since she won her second National Award for Best Actress for her role in Revathy's Mitr - My Friend, her hectic schedule has become even more so. Dance is a priority, as is Pamela Rooks' big-screen adaptation of Mahesh Dattani's Dance Like A Man, scheduled to go on the floors in January 2003. Despite that, Shobana looks much like you expect a movie star to, perfectly groomed and coiffed. Before the interview gets off the ground, there's one question from her: ''What would you like to have?'' ''Coffee,'' I answer. ''The usual?'' she queries. I say yes and she calls in one of her assistants to order one regular coffee for me, and one 'unusual' coffee for her. Before I can figure out what that is, we're discussing the award for Mitr. Even after all these years, Shobana regards the award, which she shares with Tabu (Chandni Bar) as a shot in the arm. ''It's a big confidence boost,'' she confesses. ''When I look at my old films, I wince. It's good to get confirmation that I can act.'' The acknowledgement has put Shobana in a meditative mood. ''I thought I'd achieved everything when I won my first National Award (for playing a woman with a split personality) for the Malayalam film Manichitrathazu in 1994. But looking back today, I feel I've wasted a lot of time. Given today's frenetic pace of filmmaking, you ...