What do sensuality and spirituality have in common? A lot, apparently. At least, that’s what Nandana Sen has to say.

“Spirituality and sensuality go hand-in-hand and this is what defines Indian culture.” This wisdom is the result of the time Nandana spent at Khajuraho where she was shooting for Sharpe’s Peril and the erotica there inspired her into thinking. Now, the daughter of Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen is all set to surprise the world with her brand new and brazen role as famed artist Raja Ravi Varma’s muse Sugandha in Rang Rasiya.

Dadasaheb Phalke admired Varma’s art and now its Ketan Mehta’s turn. And his heroine, Nandana, is as impressed. Apparently, the artist who was famous for his mythological works and royal portraits faced the wrath of society when he fell in love with a devdasi and painted her in a sensuous pose. Now we hear Nandana has struck that pose and more. Interestingly, the actress is not cagey about ‘revealing’ answers. When asked if she had done an erotic scene with co-star Randeep Hooda, she says, “I am a nice and provocative person myself, just like the scenes in the film. Yes, I have done a very bold and daring scene with Randeep.”

However, Nandana explains that the theme of the film is more provocative than the scenes. “It is about the censorship of art — an extreme reality check of our freedom of expression.”

This brings the actress back to the subject of Khajuraho. “If you look at Khajuraho and other ancient arts, it is evident that we as a culture were not sexually repressed. But right now there is a repression of our natural feelings.”

There is more the actress can reveal. Apparently she enacted a pretty steamy scene in Tango Charlie as well which was ruthlessly chopped by the censor board. So where does she derive her comfort level from when she does such roles? “On screen, intimacy is something that hasn’t been an issue for me. I am not coy about being bold on celluloid. It is part of my job. I have never been manipulated into doing something that I didn’t want to do,” Nandana declares candidly. So the next obvious question. Does she ever say no? “Yes, of course. I turned down a film with Tim Robins, which had a fantastic role for me but one scene involved a threesome in a love act. I just couldn’t see myself doing that,” she says.

Yet, her visit to Cannes recently where her film was screened, has been more than lucrative in terms of movie offers. An Italian movie where she plays a photographer’s obsession, an American fantasy where she plays a good witch, and another movie where she plays a Spanish-speaking Indian immigrant. “I speak fluent Spanish,” she adds.

Bien, Bien Chica, we also comprende poco Espanol.