'I've never been treated like a foreigner'

She is a model, danseuse and a Hollywood actress. Now Sita Thompson is making waves in Bollywood with three films on the floor. She was recently awarded the National Citizen's Overseas Award 2001 by former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao for 'being American by birth, but nevertheless Indian by heart and values.'

"India is home to me and Sita is not a recently adopted trendy fusion name," she says. "It is the name I was born with and, by the way, my sister is named Shanti. Also, I have a lot of Indian friends -- Rajiv Rai, Dr Jagmohan Mundhra. They are the ones who suggested I come to India and give it a shot at Indian films."

Sita makes her debut in Valentine Days, a film that was supposed to get over in three months unlike the year it has taken. "The disorganisation is a little difficult to take. I took on the role because I felt it was written just for me. It is about three friends falling in love with an American college student in India. Gina, the girl I play is very unlike me. [My] Mom saw it and asked me why she [Gina] was being so stupid and not understanding the manipulative situations. I think it is being silly, not stupid."

What about her three costars? "They were all newcomers but have worked in television, stage or have modeled. They have done their job well. In fact, I remember doing a scene with Samir Kochchar, one of the friends who falls in love with me. He had to play a prank of pulling out a bra from my tee shirt and he just wouldn't get it right. It was getting dark and we had to get the shot canned. I asked him to just look at me and get on with the shot and not bother with everybody else. And it went off very well."

Sita, who is fluent in six languages, says, "I don't speak Hindi, but I understand it so it wasn't a problem. It was more difficult to keep the energy going when a shot was delayed because an outfit had not arrived. Also, I didn't think Dimpy [the director] made use of my knowledge of having worked in Hollywood to his advantage. I could have helped him out with information and suggestions, but it may not have been construed as professional."

"I was worried how the film would look and how it would be pieced together," she says. "Now I am pleasantly surprised. It is quite a sweet and typical Hindi film."

One can't blame Sita if she is more excited about her second act in Tanman.com starring Kabir Bedi and Manisha Koirala. "It is an AA grade set-up and far more professional. This woman cannot look beyond her lipstick and money. It is very interesting. Working with Kabir and Manisha has been good; they also play very interesting characters. Kabir is such a sexy man. It is not just the way he looks. He is kind, generous to a costar and knows his craft very well. I am looking forward to working in the film."

She has also been signed for Mani Shankar's [16 December] Rudraksh, starring Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty and Bipasha Basu. "But the dates are still being worked out. So that seems to be a bit in limbo!"

"I think in some way," she says, introspectively, "I fit in here so well that I have never been treated like a foreigner. I never had the luxury of people giving me advice or helping me with information. I am just treated like another girl on the sets."

Sita loves Hindi films: "I have watched a lot of them in the last five months. I couldn't understand why they suddenly burst into song with 40 dancers behind them. But I think the language spoken by Lagaan or Chandni Bar or even Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is quite universal."

Quiz her on working with the big boys in Bollywood and she says, "I am not really in awe of anybody except Amitabh Bachchan. I know all his dialogues in the Hindi version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire [Kaun Banega Crorepati] by heart. Everybody else has been really nice to me. In Hollywood, it was a pleasure to work with Michael Madison. I have worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger as well, but this man [Madison] has a presence which makes working with him an absolute pleasure!"