Foreign Connection

Deewana,stating that they were searching for a ‘gori’,Emma Brown Garrett grabbed her bag and made a dash. “They were looking for a gori,and I knew I can do it,” says the fiesty Aussie,who shifted base to Mumbai with her husband in 2008,and has no qualms about being called a ‘gori’ or ‘angrez’. “I am brushing up my Hindi,” says the actress who plays the role of Sunny Deol’s wife in the film.

“The film and arts industry is the same across the world,so it was not difficult for me to make the transition,” says Garrett. Born in the snowy mountains of Australia,she spent her childhood skiing professionally. Training in acting,dance,movement and voice during teenage years was followed by a stint in performing art schools and colleges,and appearances on television and in commercials in Sydney. “I learnt the skills and techniques of acting at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art),” says Garrett,who spent three years after graduation acting in feature films and stage productions,singing and writing with a band in Sydney,performing live in dance clubs,and working on an album with artist Funkshaker.

While her husband’s business brought her to Mumbai,she was immediately scouting for work,and soon bagged a Bengali film,Shukno Lanka,in which she was cast opposite Mithun Chakraborty.

Now,she is awaiting for the response to her debut in the Hindi film industry,with the release of Yamla Pagla Deewana on January 14. “I am a mother of three kids in the film… That was a tough role since I don’t have kids in real life,” says she,adding that the experience of working with the Deols and shopping for suits and churidaars in Patiala,where the film was shot,was “amazing”. “It was a roller-coaster ride — being on the sets and working with a legend like Dharamendra,” she smiles.

Language,for her,has never been an issue. “I’m a character actor and have been lucky to work on whatever I’ve wanted to,” she says. The debut,meanwhile,will be followed with Dum Maro Dum,staring Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu,also slated for release in early 2011.