The time is right to talk to her Aashiqui costar Rahul Roy. Excerpts from the conversation:
Anu Aggarwal has resurfaced...
I am glad. Aashqui has completed 25 years; there's nostalgia. Good time for her to come out of her shell. People are interested to know about her.
What do you know about her?
Well, she was always a mystery. She was never open in her interviews. She was very reserved in our interactions. She was one of the few dusky beauties around in 90s. Almost everyone was ga-ga over her. But you couldn't sweet talk and sway her.
Were you too ga-ga over her?
No, I wasn't. I won't say that we were the best of friends but yeah, we did a lot of work on the fashion circuit together. She was not the kind of woman I would go for. She was an attractive woman but not my kind.
Seems, Anu and you had a major tiff along the way?
See, I was never hanging out with Anu. So, where's the question of having a tiff? We did Mahesh Bhatt's Aashiqui and we both were director's actors. However, I must say that I was mighty surprised when she walked into the sets of Aashiqui on the fourth day and Bhatt saab announced that she would be my leading lady.
Why did that surprise you?
During our modelling days, Anu had said that she was not interested in films. Besides, Pooja Bhatt was supposed to do Anu's part in Aashiqui.
Why did Pooja opt out?
She had just finished shooting for Daddy, which had been an exhausting film for her. Bhatt saab didn't want to wait. Anu got lucky (pauses).
She has gone through a lot, she even lost her memory...
Anu has gone through a lot and I respect how she has held herself on her own. But she shouldn't have walked that road alone. It's not so lonely in B-town. If only she had maintained her equations with certain people... (trails off).
Go on...
I didn't see the actor's junoon in her. She wasn't totally into showbiz and her romance with movies got over very soon. She is one of those people who are only discovering themselves all the time. It would be great if at least now she reaches out to people who knew her in those times.
Did you try reaching out to her when she disappeared?
Yes I did, but failed to get her whereabouts.
Would you've recognised her if you had bumped into her before her recent pictures broke out?
Eventually yes, but it would've taken me some time.
She said somewhere that she had no boyfriends in her hey days...
She was not enamoured by celebrities at least. She did things which pleased her. She thought like a man.
You mean like those 'single' men who have flings?
Most men do that don't they?
Any message for Anu?
May all the good things happen to her. May she always be healthy and happy. I would love to read Anusual when it hits the stands.