145;I am not ready for

Bollywood babe Priyanka Chopra wants the masala, all right. But that doesn8217;t mean that the former Miss World isn8217;t breaking out of the mould.

Her first film Big Brother released last week, long after Priyanka Chopra outgrew the jitters of her first take. One of Bollywood8217;s most successful and dependable actresses today, Priyanka isn8217;t apologetic about the film that critics have ripped apart. Nor does she have any hang-ups about admitting that she would rather consolidate her status as a commercial actress than dabble in 8220;serious cinema.8221; In a tecirc;te-agrave;-tecirc;te with eye, she talks about the experience of redoing Big Brother, her reputation as an actress who does her own stunts and her forthcoming projects, including the one where she plays Abhishek Bachchan8217;s bodyguard.

There was a rumour that you didn8217;t want to be associated with Big Brother after the release.
Big Brother was the film where I gave the first shot of my career, so it8217;s a special film. I still remember that shot. I was 18 then and terribly nervous. I cried because I was afraid I might not have done it well. But we re-shot almost the entire movie over the last six months before its release last week. And now, even that scene has been redone.

How was it reinterpreting the same character after a gap of three years?
I understood my character a lot better when we re-shot the film. It8217;s a very real character, unlike many of my other roles. This is a girl from a simple middle class family, grounded, but strong, and one who tries to hold on to her family through tough situations.

Big Brother8217;s director Guddu Dhanoa has said that after three years, he found you have become a one-take actress. Do you take that as a compliment? Or would you rather be a perfectionist, who insists on multiple takes?
I was doing the film a second time. I knew the story and character well and so I could bring an intensity to my characterisation. I take the director8217;s observation as a compliment because you cannot be a one-take actor if you are not a perfectionist.

How was it working with Sunny Deol? Is there any actor you would want to be paired with?
Working with Sunny Deol brought back special memories, as he was my first co-star. But two actors I would like to work with are Saif Ali Khan and Aamir Khan. They are the only two current actors with whom I haven8217;t worked yet.

You have been a judge at various beauty pageants and are a former winner yourself. Do you agree that these contests are nothing more but tickets to Bollywood?
Winning a beauty pageant gives you access to Bollywood. But beyond that, you are still a newcomer till you gain the audience8217;s acceptance and prove your worth. It8217;s not a ticket to Bollywood. So, as a judge of the recent Miss India beauty pageant I made sure that we picked the girls who had the brains and who deserved to win. I think it8217;s very important to have intelligence. Being an actor today is not just about mouthing lines. It is also about image management and tackling the media.

Your somersaults at a recent award show had Karan Johar call you India8217;s Lara Croft. Is it a conscious decision to do your own stunts?
I am very fond of adventure sports, which encourages you to push yourself to the extreme. I do my own stunts because as an actor I think I am better able to understand my character than a stuntperson. I do my stunts as far as permissible. For instance, for my character in Drona, I had to learn a Sikh martial art called gatka, which needs precision skills. It involves a lot of complex movements using the kirpan. As part of my training programme, I had to fight an entire group of people using a sword.

Story continues below this ad

Having proved yourself at the box-office, are you planning to venture into serious cinema like your other contemporaries?
I haven8217;t yet reached the point when I can go the serious cinema way. Though I have finally have had box-office successes, I still have to do a lot to consolidate my position as a commercial actor.

What matters to you more 8212; the banner or the script?
The banner definitely comes before the script. If you have a good script but not the wherewithal to make it, then it8217;s a waste. A big banner has the potential to market and pull a film through, which is very essential today. And a great banner has to have great scripts to keep its reputation intact.

Does Aitbaar remain a one-off experiment as of now?
I am yet to come across a script with negative shades that are as engaging as Aitbaar. Once that happens, I really don8217;t mind playing any character, whether it8217;s grey, black, white, blue or pink.

Are you acting in the sequel to Krrish beginning next year?
That8217;s still under consideration, so I can8217;t say anything now.

Story continues below this ad

After Salaam-e-Ishq and Big Brother, what8217;s next on your platter this year?
I am playing a female bodyguard in Drona. It8217;s an unconventional role that your average Hindi film heroine doesn8217;t get to do. I think women can be as good bodyguards as men though we don8217;t have many role models. I am also doing Love Story 2050, a sci-fi film set in Mumbai and New York of 2050 and Rumi Jaffery8217;s God Tussi Great Ho with Salman Khan and Amitji.

Is there any particular genre you would like to do?
I haven8217;t done a completely romantic film yet. I would really like to do a period film as well.

You were supposed to do Meena Kumari8217;s role in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Is it still on?
Sahib Bibi8230; has run into a roadblock on the producer8217;s end though I am still keen on the project.

Which are the Indian actresses you consider your role models?
My all-time top three favourite actresses are Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi and Kajol. I also a mire Jaya Bachchan aunty and Na gisji a lot.
_ Piyush Roy