What is your character like in Hattrick?
I play a girl named Kashmira, who is in love with test cricketer M S Dhoni. Kashmira is crazy about him even after her marriage, so Kunal Kapoor, who plays my husband in the film, is fed up with me and wants a divorce. But of course, this all has been portrayed in a light hearted, funny way.
How is it that you have been doing only comedy films, since the beginning of your career?
What do I do? Nobody gives me any other role! But then, comedy is the safest genre, if you want to feature in films that stand a greater chance of becoming hits. If a comedy film is well made, it’s bound to be a sure shot hit.
What kind of a role are you looking for, to break out of this stereotype?
I want to do a serious film, with a good director. I need a film like Black to prove my mettle as an actor.
I have just signed a film titled Johnny Gaddar, in which I play a relatively seriously character. It is about this nice girl who keeps getting trapped in problems.
I did act in a couple of good films with good directors, producers and actors so that people notice me. But now, I have reached a stage where I cannot keep playing these roles. Now I don’t mind working with younger people, because that will benefit me in turn.
Coming from a non filmi background, did you have to struggle a lot to sign good projects? Is the scenario very competitive?
I came to Mumbai with my mother and just Rs 1,50,000 (Rs 1.5 lakh). I took several screen tests and auditions and faced a lot of rejections as well. Earlier, I was struggling to survive; now, I am struggling to play good characters.
I am happy with the way my career has shaped up, but I am tense about the future too. Despite being three years old in this industry, I do not know if I will be able to sustain myself. Perhaps five years down the line, I may not have any films on hand!
This is partly due to competition and also because of my reluctance to sign any B grade film. It’s difficult to keep getting offers of films with good characters, actors, directors and producers. Besides, I am not even a top actress that people should line up outside my house to sign me on!
What matters more to you… good roles or good money?
I do not think of money while signing films. According to me, an actress earns her income from shows and appearances. Films do give a chance to earn money, but if you do good movies, you automatically get shows and appearances.
If you leave a good film just because it’s offering less money, then you not only lose out on a movie but also on a sizeable amount of audience, which sees your performance and not what you have earned!
Do you approach directors for roles or do you wait for offers to come your way?
For Hattrick, I approached Milan Luthria myself. If you have to move ahead, you have to approach directors for work. I would love to work with directors Abbas Mastan, Anees Bazmi, whose heroines usually play well rounded characters.
There are some directors I have approached, because I know that if I work with them even on a single film, I can relax for a year without another film in hand!
The scripting for Dhoom 3 has begun; will you be a part of it as well?
I have no idea about Dhoom. I did Dhoom:2 because of Yash Raj and Sanjay Gadhvi. Otherwise, I do not do guest appearances, unless it is for a director like Milan who has worked a lot on me for my character in Hattrick.
Why has your voice been dubbed in many of your films? Does your Bengali accent cause a problem?
Yes, my voice was dubbed previously, because in those days I could not speak good Hindi. In fact, I still face accent problems. But now, I have work a lot on my dialogues and dub for myself.
My voice in Dhoom:2 was dubbed because at that time, I was in Bangkok and couldn’t make it for the dubbing.
Actually, in this industry, your face and acting are all that matters, so my Bengali accent was never really a problem for me.
