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Asin: Rohit Shetty doesn't like his actresses thin

Asin is one of the few south actresses who has successfully crossed over to Bollywood, and been a part of several blockbusters like Ghajini, Ready and Housefull 2.

This Friday, the actress will join Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan in Bol Bachchan, and tickle your funny bone.

Asin spoke to Sonil Dedhia about the film, and revealed some interesting trivia about the men behind it.

Two back-to-back Rs 100-crore films (Ready and Housefull 2). You are like a lucky mascot for films...

It's just because of the box office collections of my films that people are calling me that.

Three out of four films that I have done have crossed the Rs 100-crore mark. I am hoping even Bol Bachchan exceeds the Rs 100-crore collection so that I get a hat-trick in successful films.

Have you been plain lucky or have you carefully chosen such projects?

I have a soft spot for these universally appealing, fun, emotional stories. So I tend to choose these kinds of films.

'I'm comfortable enough to pull off any genre'

You mean you will always stick to masala entertainers?

Not really, as an artist you need creative satisfaction as well.

I hope for more author-backed roles but within the commercial format because at the same time I also want to reach out to as many people as possible. A commercial film helps me do that as I am still new in the industry with just four movies.

You've been doing comedies lately.

It was coincidental that Housefull 2 and Bol Bachchan came back-to-back. It's not that I have a special affinity for them and so I chose them; they just came my way.

I'd like to try different genres as well. More fleshed-out characters but within the space of the commercial format.

Do you find comedy easier to pull off than an overbearing drama?

Not really. I am flexible and comfortable enough to pull off any genre. For some reason only comedies are coming my way. I do have a soft corner for rom-coms, but at the same time I like drama too.

'I just relied on the script for my role in Bol Bachchan'

How is Bol Bachchan different from your last film (Housefull 2), which was also a comedy?

Housefull 2 had a westernised look as the characters were based out of London. This is a more Indian story based in a village in India.

I play Sania Bachchan, a very earthy character. She is the most down-to-earth and grounded person of all the characters in the film.

Did you refer to the original Gol Maal (1979) to work on your character?

The basic idea was inspired by Gol Maal and the major interaction is between Ajay and Abhishek.

In the original, the girl didn't have much to do. I had nothing to fall back on other than what was written in the script. So I just relied on the script.

'Abhishek is a sore loser'

How is Rohit Shetty as a director?

Rohit does accept suggestions but still prefers to stick to the script and likes to rehearse.

He rehearses first with his group of assistant directors and then executes the scenes, including the movements of the characters, the position where they should be standing etc.

You have worked with Ajay Devgn before but it's your first film with Abhishek. How was the experience?

Abhishek is a kid. He is a lot of fun, almost like a livewire on the set. The day he isn't shooting there's an instant drop of energy level because when he is on the sets people are forever on their toes.

You don't know whom he is going to catch and make a bakra (fool) out of.

Also, he is a sore loser. When we played any game on the sets, he would hate losing.

'Actresses deserve to work on profit-sharing basis too'

When you compare your body of work down south with Hindi, which do you think is better?

I think I am just starting out in Hindi films so I don't think I can compare it with what I have done down south so far.

You have done a lot of female-oriented films down south. Would you want to do something like that in Bollywood as well?

It's a bit risky. But so long as it's presented and packaged well and is entertaining, then why not?

Actors in the industry have started working on a profit-sharing basis. Will the same happen with actresses too?

I hope so as I think actresses deserve it too. No matter how much we deny it, the fact remains that we have a male-dominated society as well as industry. I hope that situation changes.

'Rohit Shetty is more like a South Indian director'

You have worked with three of the biggest comedy directors -- Anees Bazmee, Sajid Khan and now Rohit Shetty. How are they different from each other?

Out of the three, Sajid is the most spontaneous on the sets. He takes inputs very easily. He is an encyclopaedia of not just Bollywood films but of world cinema also.

Anees is someone I look up to. I respect him a lot as he is one of the senior directors in the industry. With him, it's very little improvisation on the sets.

Rohit sticks very much to the script, likes his rehearsals, and is very disciplined. He is more like a south Indian director. He doesn't like his actresses thin!

Unfortunately for me, I had come to this film after Housefull 2 for which I had lost a lot of weight, which for any director would have been very good, but Rohit absolutely hated it. He used to make me eat during shooting schedules so as to make me put on weight (Laughs).

'I don't know if I'm doing Two States yet!'

What are you doing next?

I am working with Akshay Kumar on Khiladi 786. It's an action comedy.

Are you doing Two States too?

I don't know. I think you need to ask the producers. I have read the book and it is one of my favourites. I found it extremely entertaining.

A lot of people have told me that Ananya Swaminathan's role fits me perfectly and that I will understand the character more because of the Chennai culture, but the makers haven't approached me yet so I don't know what is happening.