That's not me!

In a recent interview, Kunal Kohli mentioned how Malaika Arora was the inspiration behind Amisha Patel's character in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. In fact, Amisha's character is even called Malaika. She dresses sexily and is a complete air head, whose only aim in life is shopping and partying. However, Malaika hasn't taken too kindly to Kunal's portrayal of her. "That's not me!", she says.

Were you aware that Amisha's character in TPTM is based on you?
I had no idea, none whatsoever. It totally caught me by surprise.

Have you watched the film?
I have watched it. It was only then that I realised Amisha is named after me.

In an interview, Kunal admits that Amisha's character is inspired by you.
There's nothing similar between Amisha and me in the film. Apart from the fact that we both share the same name, I don't dress up or behave like her. I look at it as art and that's always exaggerated on big screen.

Did Kunal inform you about basing a character on you?
No he didn't. It would have been nice had he told me. Not that I hold it against him, as its too trivial. I know him personally. But I feel like what he has shown is a total distorted depiction of who I am. There's no angle that I can think of where I can relate to Amisha's character in the film. I am nothing like that, so in a way, that's a wrong portrayal of me.

In the film, Malaika only wears sexy clothes and is a complete airhead. Does that offend you?
As I said before I look at it as art. I am not taking it seriously. I am nothing like the Malaika in the film. I think am just going to laugh about this whole thing!

You are a dutiful mother, while Malaika in the film dumps her boyfriend when she finds out he has kids that she will have to look after…
Exactly, my point is that I wouldn't react to situations the way she has. I am just not that kind of a person.

Did you talk to Kunal after watching the film?
I did speak to him and told him that he must have been a huge fan of mine to do something like this!