On a roll

Post TZP,everyone is expecting her to perform brilliantly in Firaaq,which releases today. Chopra,who debuted opposite Ajay Devgan in Platform (1993),couldn’t quite make her mark in Bollywood then. Her next ventures,Bali Umar Ko Salaam and Taqdeerwala,bombed miserably at the box office. “Today,when I think about it,it is about the end justifying the means,” says Chopra,who then moved to television to pursue her acting career. While Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii established her as a telly star,Astitva and Sarkar consolidated her position. “I essayed three different roles—vamp,lawyer and a prototype of Sonia Gandhi. This helped me gain confidence,” she says,adding,“But it was TZP that was path-breaking. It was undoubtedly a landmark film in Indian cinema and a turning point in my life.”

Chopra,who returned into the bigger scheme of things with TZP,feels her career has finally fallen into place. “I signed Firaaq even before TZP released.” So is she now looking at doing socially relevant films? “For me what matters is a good story,” she says,as she narrates her role in Firaaq. “I play the role of Anuradha Desai,an urban Hindu middle-class woman who is married to a Muslim.” But there is a special reason why she signed this film. “I have so many friends who have had inter-religious marriages,but talking openly about them is still taboo in this country. So when Nandita discussed my role,I was eager to tackle this subject.”

After Firaaq’s release,Chopra’s will anchor a show called Topper Edge on a news channel. “I also have a comedy film directed by Sharad Kataria (dialogue writer of Bheja Fry) coming up,” she says.

However,the actor isn’t bidding adieu to television serials. “The difference between films and serials is the same as whitewash and meenakari. Films give you scope for detail,whereas television teaches you to push the limit.” Cheers to that.