Tamannaah Bhatia who plays Sridevi’s role in the new-age version Himmatwala is extremely keen to meet the original ‘Himmatwali’ before beginning shooting for Himmatwala in Hyderabad this week.

Unfortunately neither the new nor the original Himmatwala heroine could find the time to accommodate one another.

While Tamannaah is in Hyderabad shooting for Puri Jagannath’s new Telugu film where she straightaway joins the Himmatwala team, Sridevi is busy with the promotion of her comeback venture English Vinglish.

Disappointed but still hopeful of meeting her idol Tamannaah gushes, “I grew up dancing to Sridevi Ta thaiya ta thaiya and Mere haathon mein nau nau churiyan hai in front of the mirror. I think every Indian girl idolizes Sridevi. I’d spend hours learning and imitating her steps. And today, to be playing her role from Himmatwala…it’s a dream come true!! I am still pinching myself in disbelief.”

And yes, she is going to be wielding that famous whip in a leather outfit, a la Sridevi.

Giggles Tamannaah, “I had never seen a whip, let alone hold one when in my hand, before we did the photo-shoot for Himmatwala. I don’t know whether I’d be able to wield that whip with as much grace as Sridevi. But I’ll tell you one thing. I am not even going to try to be like her. It’s impossible to be another Sridevi. She is inimitable. And we should leave it at that.”

Hence the whip apart, Tamannaah would be doing Sri’s role in her own way. The iconic song Ta thaiya would also be interpreted by the young actress in a different style.

“Farah Khan is doing the steps. I don’t know how much of the original steps would be retained. But I do know it would be inadvisable to imitate Sridevi. I’ve watched Himmatwala many times but I’m trying to put it all out of my head and interpret my role in a fresh role.”

Tamannaah hopes to meet Sridevi in the coming weeks, when the junior actress visits her family in Mumbai.