Burning brighter than ever

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Though the Indian badminton scene might have missed bagging Deepika Padukone by a whisker, it can boast of Jwala Gutta, who is not only one of the best in the country on the court, but her glam quotient will have many silver screen hopefuls shuttling for cover.

Tabloids have lately dedicated a lot of column space on the ace shuttler appearing in a song sequence in a yet-to-be-named Telugu film, and the lady in question is taking everything in her stride. “We have just one life and I want to experience as much of it as possible. So when I got a chance to do this song, I really didn’t have to think about it that much,” says Jwala. The song sequence is being picturised with T-town actor Nitin Reddy and for Jwala it was a whole new ball game.
“I’m very scared of cameras. I used to be scared of cameras even for interviews but I had gotten used to them. They had become a part of my life. But facing a camera and dancing, which I had never, ever dreamt of doing, made me very nervous. I was scared. The first day I saw the set, I wanted to turn around and go home. Luckily for me, I was surrounded by friends who encouraged me. But after about four hours on the first day, I became very comfortable,” she adds.
After the initial cold feet, Jwala had a blast. “They were all very patient with me. If I wasn’t Jwala, the choreographer would probably have kicked me out (laughs). It is not a regular item number. It is a very peppy club number. I usually go clubbing with my friends. It was pretty much the same.”
The song has ensured that Jwala, who has just returned from a seven-month sabbatical, is never far from the limelight. She does, however, try very hard to play down expectations. “I just got back to training, I’m getting back into shape; I lost a lot of weight. So if you guys find me fat in the song, it’s the holiday effect, don’t judge me,” she chuckles. The sequence was actor Nitin’s idea and initially Jwala took it for a joke. “It happened because Nitin is a dear friend. He came up to me with the idea and I thought he was joking. But then he persisted and it hit me that he was being serious; I was really scared. But I never say never. If I feel I am up to it, I go for it. So I went for this.” Jwala, however, insists that she has no celluloid dreams and badminton stays her top priority. “After the Olympics I was offered many roles but I turned them all down. I wouldn’t want to do it if I don’t feel a connection. I wouldn’t want to do it just for fame or money. I have both. Badminton is my first love and will remain my first love forever.”
When Jwala decided to take a break, speculation was rife that she was done with the game. However, come back she did, at the All England Open championships in early March. “People have been calling time on my career for the last eight years. I’m afraid they will have to remain disappointed. When I was out of action for three-four months, I started getting bored, so I thought I’d start playing again, if not competitively, then just training,” Jwala recalls. “But when I played my first match, at the All England, that was when I realised how much I missed playing in a tournament. It felt so good!” And what was the hardest part about getting back into the groove? “Waking up early in the morning! I had gotten so used to waking up at leisure, it had thrown my system out of gear.”

In more ways than one, Jwala’s comeback has started a new chapter in her career as she now has a new doubles partner, Prajakta Sawant. Meanwhile Ashwini Ponnappa will continue playing with Pradnya Gadre. Contrary to rumours, Jwala says there is no bad blood between the former partners. “Ashwini did speak to me and she told me she wanted to play with Pradnya and I’m fine with it. I certainly cannot force her to play with me. I wish her well and hope she does well for the country. We will remain friends. As for Prajakta, I’m looking forward to playing in front of home crowds at the India Open. She’s a very skilled player and is working hard right now.”

While she may not necessarily be thinking about quitting just yet, Jwala has certainly thought of what she will do when she hangs up her racquet. “I don’t think I can go away from the sport. I am what I am because of badminton and it is my responsibility to give something back to it. I don’t want to work for it within the system. I never gained anything from the system so I want to work independently. I’ll find someone who’s tuned to my way of thinking and I’ll work with them.” She, however, is not looking into business ventures. “Business ventures are out of the question. I'll be bad at business.”