A Beginner’s Guide

While Kareena Kapoor will officially slip into Hollywood actor Julia Roberts’ shoes with the release of Karan Johar’s film We Are Family,Russhita Singh is wearing that marvellous grin on her face these days for having actually worked with the American superstar. Singh plays the part of Tulsi in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Eat Pray Love,the screen adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling book with Roberts in the lead. The movie will release in India on October 8.

The 20-year-old who plays the protagonist’s close friend during her sojourn in India,is more excited about doing a film with Roberts as opposed to bagging a prestigious project. “I knew the audition I was to attend was for an international project. But it was only after I had cleared some five rounds of auditions that I realised how big this project was,” she recalls. Meeting Julia too was enormously thrilling for the actor who started her career with films like Nanhe Jaisalmer and Halla Bol. “When I met Julia for the first time and she introduced herself,I even forgot my name,” she laughs,adding how patient Roberts was during the shoot. “She would sign autographs endlessly and pose for pictures with whoever requested her,” says Singh. At the end of the shooting schedule Roberts even threw a party for the cast and crew of the India segment. “She hosted an ‘Eat,Drink and Chill’ party. We got to mingle with her on a personal level,” she says.

Singh says she has quite a comparable role in the movie. “Though there is a huge age gap between the two characters,I have quite a prominent role. Tulsi is instrumental in teaching her the Indian rituals and traditions,” says Singh,who shot for about a month in Delhi. “I have around five to six big scenes and also attend the character’s wedding that takes place in India.” ahe adds.

Although she had initially planned to become either a radio jockey or a news reader,Singh didn’t manage a breakthrough in either. She finally got a break in ad films,before queueing up for the auditions of Murphy’s film. “When I got through the audition,I kept the news to myself. It was only a week before I had to leave for Delhi that I told my parents. They weren’t really happy about it. Even now,they are just about getting used to the idea,” she says.