That is not to say that Kitu Gidwani does not have a respectable body of film work — she was marvellous as a Parsi mother in Deepa Mehta’s 1947 Earth, and in Abhay with Kamal Haasan. Now, Gidwani returns to the marquee with an old but stirring film, Rajan Khosa’s Dance of the Wind, and Madhur Bhandarkar’s much-discussed Fashion.

Khosa’s NFDC-produced film was made 10 years ago. It starred in the film-festival circuit, stopping at Venice and Rotterdam and Gidwani winning the Best Actress Award at the Festival of Three Continents at Nantes, France, in 1998, but the movie failed to get a distributor for its commercial release in India. “It’s tragic that the NFDC could not release a film like this. It only shows its lack of vision,” says Gidwani, with characteristic candour. The 40-something actor plays an Indian classical singer whose career seems to be swerving to an abrupt end. “But I am thankful that times are changing and our film is finally getting released in India,” she adds.

“Fashion is a realistic film and I have an interesting role,” says Gidwani, who once modeled for top brands like Bombay Dyeing. “Madhur is an observant man and I pretty much agree on his take on the fashion industry.” Apart from Bhandarkar’s film, Gidwani will also be seen in Pradeep Guha’s Phir Kabhi that boasts an ensemble cast, including Mithun Chakraborty and Dimple Kapadia. “It’s a romantic comedy and tells the story of three generations,” she says. “I represent the middle generation and Mithun is my father-in-law.”