Q. You seemed to have achieved quite a lot in the South. Do you think this is it when we talk about your success down South?
A. To tell you frankly I was never serious about this line, which I have chosen. I always wanted to be a copywriter, along with advertising. Films happened to me by chance. That time I used to do very few films as and when I got the time to do it. Eventually I started taking up more films and finally I became quite a hot property down South (laughs). I have achieved a lot in South and I am really thankful to God for that and I want to do more. I just don’t want to limit myself to anything. I did a lot of South films as the lead lady and I am willing to do more.
Q. Comparing your career graph in the South with Bollywood, it seems you have yet not been successful here? What is the reason?
A. (Smiles), I know that. It is not that I didn’t get any offers post Garam Masala. I was still studying when Garam Masala happened to me. I had got offers after that too but I turned them down because I had to complete my studies first. My mother had said that education is very important at this date. All my family members, right from my mom to dad to my sister, all are highly educated. Work can wait but education should not. So I decided to abide by her and went to Bangalore to complete my studies. In this due course I missed on a lot of projects and that’s why my Bollywood career graph did not sail as smoothly as my South film career did. But I am not complaining about it. I felt that education was more important that time and I am happy I followed it well.
Q. What did you aim in life?
A. My aim was too become a copywriter. I had watched a French film and I was so inspired by seeing how this whole idea of copywriting works that I decided to take it as my profession. I completed my fine arts but unfortunately never got the opportunity of doing copywriting. Instead I landed into films and I am still doing them.
Q. Your other co-stars in Garam Masala have moved ahead. What might have been the reason for your lacking behind?
A. The reason is quite simple. It is not that I was left behind. It is that I opted to be left behind. And it was because of my, which was much more important to me than anything. Education had much more priority in my life.
Q. You had some major problem with Neetu Chandra that time. Are things sorted now? Is she your friend now?
A. This is one question which I guess will never leave me. I would like to inform you that there was so such scene. It is all baseless rumors. We never had any fight. We used to tease each other on silly matters, and that’s it. We used to keep pulling each others leg. All three of us were ‘mastikhor’. Neetu and Nargis are my friends and I am very much in touch with them.
Q. Nowadays people are getting instant success in television. Didn’t you feel like trying your hands on it?
A. Frankly I didn’t get the opportunity to act in television and I guess I am happy for that. I don’t feel like doing television because to have to play the same character for months and months together. I like doing films because they are fast and far more better.
Q. What are your future projects?
A. I have 5 scripts in hand. 4 of them are like ‘pakka pakka’. But I am still going through the scripting thing. I don’t want to hurry on choosing films because I want to do the best film as my comeback film. I want to take my time to decide that. Unfortunately it is too early to disclose anything but I will keep you updated as soon as things work out.
