Model Lisa Haydon is all set for her Bollywood debut She is known for her poise on the ramp,but Lisa Haydon,one of Indias top models is talking nervousness these days. The 24-year-old 5' 9" lass of mixed parentage (Australian and Indian) is debuting in Bollywood with Rajshree Ojhas Aisha,the adaptation of Jane Austens Emma,and confesses that walking the ramp is far easier than emoting in front of a camera. I play Aarti Menon,a strong,modern girl with an MBA up her sleeves,who is having an affair with Abhay Deol. In the original novel,my character causes quite a scandal, she laughs. The face of Indian cosmetic giant Lakme,Haydon,who is a fixture at most fashion events around the country,bagged the role when she was spotted by Anil Kapoor in a coffee shop in Mumbai last year. He said hello when we met,and the next day my office got a call asking if I would be interested in the role, says Haydon. Ever since she struck big in the modelling world,the film offers have been pouring in,but Haydon says she has no qualms about starting off with a multi-starrer instead of a solo project. I read the script and liked the role. I believe this story of relationships and coming of age will connect with the younger audience. It was a conscious choice, she shrugs. Shooting was fun,but for the initial jitters. I was extremely nervous in front of the camera but my co-stars Abhay (Deol) and Sonam (Kapoor) were very helpful. Even the director Rajshree Ojha helped a lot. We all got along fabulously well,so it became easier from there, she says. Haydon,however,had prepared herself well for the role,reading the original novel a few times besides taking private acting classes from Sheila Gray in New York,whose students include Julianne Nicholson of Ally McBeal fame,(she plays Jenny Shaw in the popular television series). And of course,there were the extensive Hindi lessons. The dialogues in the film are mostly in Hindi,though there are a couple of lines in English,so I needed to brush up on my diction, says Haydon,who finished shooting for the film in a month. Post Aisha,her stress is on scripts from well-known production houses. "I'd rather be discreet and play real characters. But I would definitely like to act in some comedies," she says.
