Priya Masih

For Amrita, acting seems a natural step.

Her sister Malaika tasted success in films with her famous dance number Chhaiya chhaiya (from Mani Ratnam's Dil Se). Malaika also appeared in a dance number in the Sunny Deol starrer Ma Tujhe Salaam. The film also starred her husband Arbaaz Khan. The film fared average at the box office.

Contrary to expectations, it is not her sister Malaika who Amrita turns to for acting tips. She prefers Arbaaz, as he is more into films. But, of course, "the final decision is always mine."

Now a nervous Amrita awaits her turn at the marquee. Her debut film Kitne Door Kitne Paas releases Friday, March 29.

A model, Amrita has graced advertisements as Ponds, Sunsilk, Fruitamins, Elle 18 and After Smoke. She won the VJ [video jockey] hunt organised by the music channel MTV. Her shows, The Big Picture and MTV House Full had most teens this side of 19 going gaga over her.

"Because I have been a veejay, I wasn't nervous when I faced the camera," says Amrita. "I have always dreamt of being an actress; and have always been known as an entertainer. When I was a kid, I would imagine that I was giving interviews. I'd enact different scenes in front of the mirror, especially those of Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit."

Kitne Door Kitne Paas is about two people united by destiny. Fardeen Khan and Amrita live in America. They meet at a shopping mall, where they get into a fight. Later, they fly down to India to get married to their respective spouses (Sonali Kulkarni and Ayub Khan). But fate has something else planned for them.

"I play a vivacious, bubbly Gujarati girl studying in America," she explains.

Rumours had it that Amrita and Fardeen were seeing each other. The actress is quick to justify, "The media really blew up my relationship with Fardeen. If he were more than a good friend to me, I would not be afraid to say it. Today we laugh at the rumours that were spread about us." Amrita was dating singer Kamaal Khan a while ago.

"Working with Fardeen was fun," continues Amrita. "He made me feel very comfortable and kept pushing me to give my best. He's a great friend. I would love to work with him again."

Amrita still remembers her first shot at a police station. Director Mehul Kumar had made sure she wouldn't have any dialogues in the first shot. She had to react to Fardeen's lines. "I thought it would be a cakewalk. But when the shot began I realised how difficult it was. That's when you realise how much goes into making a three-hour film."

Normally a confident and straightforward person, Amrita admits to being nervous when her costars are praised in front of her. "But that only makes me try harder and give my best shot," she hastens to add. "It's a competitive world; I hope my hard work pays off."

Post Kitne Door Kitne Paas, viewers will see Amrita in Feroz Nadiadwala's Awaara Pagal Deewana, with Tusshar Kapoor, and another film with Salman Khan and Govinda.

Directed by Vikram Bhatt, Awaara Pagal Deewana stars Sunil Shetty, Akshay Kumar, Aftab Shivdasani, Preeti Jhangiani and Aarti Chhabria.

And no, she doesn't feel lost among so many stars. "Actually, I had met all of them some time or the other --- for an MTV shoot or socially. So I was quite comfortable. It was nice working with everyone. In fact, they had all nicknamed me Brat.

"For my first scene, I had to drink a lot of milk and feed some seductively to Sunil Shetty. He, in turn, had to feed me. It was so funny. Every time I was about to feed Sunil milk, we would laugh --- Sunil kept looking at like I was a kid. It took us 12 takes to do that scene. And the whole time, Vikram (Bhatt) was hysterical."

The sprightly actress looks forward to doing all kinds of roles --- "anything that suits my age and image. I would love to do roles that Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Goldie Hawn and Kajol have done. Maybe even deglamourised and psychotic roles."

With inputs from Ronjita Kulkarni