After the great effort it recently took to get hold of Shah Rukh Khan for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, I anticipated similar hassles with Asin Thottukumal. More so, because she stars in Ghajini, the most hyped remake of the year, opposite the inimitable Aamir Khan.
When Asin took the call herself, I realised I was rash and unfair. She had an unpretentious air about her and was unaffected by the mushrooming attention around her big Bollywood debut. Settled in the Mecca of the film industry - Mumbai - she explained: "I moved here at the beginning of the year. Right now my commitments are in Mumbai, so it was more for practical reasons. I hate living out of suitcases." On whether she agreed to do the film because she was already familiar with the character, having been in the Tamil version, she said: "That would be a fair enough assessment and I think that was the reason I was cast." But Asin, who has carved out a successful career in the Tamil and Telugu film sectors, was approached with Bollywood offers earlier. "I thought Ghajini would be the perfect project for my Bollywood debut. The experience of shooting the film was completely new. Except for the director, A R Murugadoss, the actors and technical crew were new, which gave the Hindi version a whole new flavour. But the story remains the same," the actress pointed out. She continued: "Working with a dream team of Aamir, A R Murugadoss and A R Rahman (music composer) was a fabulous experience." With Khan synonymous for being a stickler for details on set, I asked Asin whether she was intimidated by it. She laughed: "Not at all. Whatever image has been portrayed of him has always been accompanied by a negative tone <http://adserver.adtech.de/?adlink|585|1100573|0|165|AdId=2142784;BnId=1;itime=356489097;key=key1+key2+key3+key4;> . Yes, he is a perfectionist, but in a positive way. He is dedicated to the craft and utterly sincere - that doesn't make him difficult to work with, it makes it easier. "As a co-star, he is supportive and encouraging. He is a down-to-earth person, which is the best part of his characteristic." Did she struggle with the Hindi parlance? "My mother tongue is Malayalam, but I am fluent in Tamil and Telugu," Asin shared. As for her character, she enlightened: "Her name is Kalpana. She comes from a middle-class background and is a struggler in the ad film sector in Bombay." Ghajini revolves around Kalpana, whose claim of dating Sanjay Singhania (Khan), a wealthy businessman, to further her career, puts her in a sticky situation. Meanwhile, Asin is tied up with her next Bollywood release, London Dreams, opposite Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan. "It should be out mid next year. Ajay has this very serious image, but is quite a prankster on set. Salman's great and very supportive. We had fun working with Vipul Shah. Even if the sky was falling, Vipul would know how to handle the situation. We have completed the long schedule in London and Paris and I am looking forward to the next schedule in Mumbai." On whether she is going to put all her energy and focus into planting her feet in the Hindi sector, Asin said: "When choosing a film, I look at the script, my character, who is directing, the banner, and, finally, my co-stars. "As of now, it just so happens that I have a few Bollywood projects that need my attention. It just depends on the projects that come my way." Ghajini is slated for a Christmas release. http://tonight.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4761850&fSectionId=449&fSetId=251 -- regards, Vithur
