Prayagraj: Monalisa, a nomad, who had arrived at Mahakumbh from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, to sell garlands and shot to instant fame on social media, has been offered a role in a movie.
Monalisa shot to internet fame after she was seen selling garlands at Mahakumbh. Now, Sanoj Mishra, the director of 'The Diary of West Bengal' has offered her a vital role in his next venture, 'The Diary of Manipur'. Mishra is slated to meet Monalisa soon and sign a contract with her. Mishra had spoken to Monalisa's father over the phone.
Monalisa went viral overnight
As a few videos of Monalisa selling Rudraksh garlands in Mahakumbh Nagar went viral, the netizens started discussing her innocent beauty on social media. Within a few days, hundreds of people visiting the Akhadas at Mahakumbh started queuing up to meet her. The instant fame was such that she could not move around the fair to sell the garlands. Even as she started wearing a mask, she was recognized due to her brown eyes. It is rumoured that she has gone incognito.
Tweet on film offer
Mishra, who has made more than a dozen films on sensitive subjects, tweeted for the first time on January 19 about offering a role to Monalisa in his next film. After this, Monalisa's popularity increased further. In an interview, when Monalisa was asked if she would like to work in films, she said it was her childhood dream.
Role of retired army soldier's daughter
Sanoj Mishra said Monalisa's role in 'The Diary of Manipur' is similar to her normal life. "Monalisa belongs to a lower middle class family. She is a nomad and her family roams around selling garlands to fulfill their daily needs. Her role is of the daughter of a retired army soldier from Manipur who too wants to join the army. This is her dream. What kind of problems she has to go through to fulfill her dream, what struggles she has to face and how she is able to fulfill her dream, is what the film is all about," Mishra said.
Monalisa to be trained on acting
Mishra said his team will teach Monalisa the basics of acting. "I will call her to my studio. Our motive is to ensure her acting should be in sync with her original nature (her carefreeness and innocence)," he said.
Mishra was asked as a film director what did he see in Monalisa. He said a film's success does not depend on the eyes or the beauty of someone. "If you want to stay in the film industry and leave your mark, then you will have to be proficient in acting. The qualities of an artist can be inculcated in Monalisa, she can be taught. We have seen in her that she has the desire to achieve something," he said. Mishra said that people in the film industry believe that not everything is nudity and filth. "If a porn star like Sunny Leone can be brought into the film industry and made an icon and if I bring a girl from nomadic community in front of the country, then it will send out a message that not everything is about nudity and filth. You can also present yourself in the film industry with great decency and simplicity," he said.
No Salman-Shahrukh cast
Mishra said nepotism has always been there in the film industry, but the audience rejects films of such people. He said his objective is to give opportunities to new artists. "My films do not have star cast like Salman-Shahrukh, the story of my film is the star cast," he added.
