Asin: Bollywood is a tight ropewalk

Asin is back in action. After a spectacular debut with Ghajini and a rather lukewarm London Dreams, the actress teams up with Salman Khan again for her third film Ready, slated for a June 3 release.

In conversation with Sonil Dedhia, the actress discusses her role in the film, her association with the South Indian film industry and her contemporaries.

Tell us about your character in Ready?

I play Sanjana. She is an orphan and is staying with her greedy uncles who are behind her property. I fall in love with Prem (Salman Khan) and Prem decides to teach the uncles a lesson.

This is your second film with Salman Khan. How was it working with him second time around?

I am very comfortable working with Salman. We started shooting for Ready after Dabangg was declared a blockbuster but he didn't have any starry airs.

I think he has reached a stage where he knows how to handle success and that doesn't change him as a person. On the sets Salman was as supportive as always. He is always fun to work with and quite a prankster on the sets.

There were rumours of you and Salman Khan getting married.

It was a very funny incident. I was shocked to get messages congratulating me on my marriage. It was funny because everybody else knew about my marriage except me. (Laughs). 

So when do we get to see you getting married?

As off now, I have no plans to get married but you never know. I am concentrating on my career right now though.

Ready is a remake of a Telugu film. Have you seen the Telugu version?

Yes I have..  When they approached me I was ready to be a part of Ready (Laughs). It is a commercial entertainer and director Anees Bazmee is a master of this genre.Having Salman Khan act in the film is like icing on the cake. So I was completely excited to be a part of it. 

Is there any difference in the Telugu and Hindi version?

Some changes had to be made, keeping in mind the audiences' sensibilites. But the story and the characters remains the same.

Lately, we have seen a lot of South films being remade in Hindi. Is this some kind of a trend?

It is something that has been a part of our films. We have always seen a lot of exchange of cinematic ideas. A lot of Hindi movies have been remade in the South and vice versa.

Indians can identify with the Indian sensibilities and rather than taking something from foreign films, it is always good to make a movie which has been enjoyed by a certain audience or in a certain part of India and make it available to a larger audience.

Do you think you lost out on the opportunity that you built with Ghajini after London Dreams didn't work at the Box Office?

I have seen the ups and downs and I know how to handle the situation in a mature way. I have been in the industry for some time now and I have learnt the ropes of being an actress.

Even before I entered the industry my parents always told me never let success get to your head and failure to your heart. I believe that if you acheive success you will also experience failures in life.

You have been quite choosy about signing films.

Yes, I have been choosy about films but I promise to change that (Laughs). I have not been signing projects left, right and centre because my priority is not visibility.

Also I am a very secure person and I feel it really doesn't matter if I have a long gap between my two films till the time I do what makes me happy.  I want to be excited about the role I play but you will definitely see me in more films. 

But that could also mean slipping out of the top bracket of the actresses.

I want to concentrate on my career and not look at what others are doing or not doing. As I mentioned earlier I want to be a part of films which I will be happy to work in. I want to do movies that I can do justice with.

What difference do you find between the Hindi and the South film industries?

The major difference is in the language and the culture. Down south the industry is a lot more punctual. They start early and wrap up on schedule.

Is there a change in attitude when you are working in a Hindi film?

Not when I am shooting a film because I go with what the director tells me to do, depending on how I understand the character.  Down south, as a person, people relate to you easily if you are more down to earth and humble. People like to see you as one of them, someone who is a simple person who also acts in movies.

In Hindi films, one has to carry a star persona off screen too.  One has to maintain the star quality and the X factor even when you are not facing the camera.

So are you saying that Bollywood is more glamorous?

Yes, Bollywood is definitely more glossy and glamorous as compared to other industries.  It's a tight ropewalk but I somehow manage it. (Smiles)

You have worked with Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. How different are their acting styles?

Salman and Aamir both are very professional. They both have their unique traits. Salman is always prepared before coming to a shoot so he knows his lines and and is completely into the character whereas Aamir would come on the sets and discuss a lot of things and would give his inputs.

You have been compared to Sridevi.

Sridevi is my neighbour. We stay in the same building and she is someone I have immense respect for. I admire her and it gives me a lot of pleasure to tell you that I am fortunate to be compared to a legendary actress like Sridevi. 

I guess people are kind to me and have encouraged me. I still have a long way to go and I don't think I should be compared to a prodigy like Sridevi.

Are you friends with any of your contemporaries?

I am friendly with all my contemporaries. We are on each other's Blackberry messengers and actresses can be friends if they are professionally and personally secure.

I don't know if actresses can be best friends because in the kind of profession that we are in it hardly leaves us with any time. 

Tell us about your future plans.

I will soon start shooting for Housefull-2 soon.