Amrita
Puri
tells
this
correspondent
that
if
skin
show
is
very
intrinsic
for
a
character
and
is
not
necessarily
incorporated
for
voyeuristic
delight,
she
would
consider
opting
for
it.
Aisha
may
be
her
maiden
tryst
as
far
as
acting
in
films
is
concerned,
but
then
the
newbie
Amrita
Puri
isn"t
exactly
new
to
acting.
She
had
a
stint
with
the
modern
English
theatre.
Qazad
Padamsee"s
English
play
'Retellings
View
From
The
Stage" was
the
first
play
of
the
26
year
old
actress.
Though
she
is
just
a
newcomer,
the
thin
girl
does
show
an
attitude
and
does
not
even
come
forward
to
part
with
her
cell
number,
even
after
I
finished
the
interview.
When
I
met
the
petite
lass
at
the
coffee
shop
in
the
J.W.
Marriott,
where
she
traipses
with
her
entourage
consisting
of
her
two
PR
managers,
she
gave
me
a
cliched
statement.
“Right
from
the
time
I
was
just
a
tiny
tot,
I
had
always
been
interested
in
acting.
I
love
the
stage.
I
felt
that
it
is
quite
tough
to
make
it
in
films
if
you
are
not
hailing
from
a
filmi
family.
Moreover,
the
profession
is
full
of
uncertainties
and
hence
I
did
my
post
graduation
in
Mass
Communications."
Though
after
her
post
graduation,
Amrita
worked
as
a
copywriter
at
O
and
M,
she
says
that
she
was
not
quite
happy
with
the
way
her
life
was
shaping
up.
Hence
after
talking
it
over
with
her
parents,
she
got
a
portfolio
done
by
Dilip
Bhatia
and
started
rounds
of
auditions
for
films
as
well
as
ad
films.
The
attempts
did
pay
off
and
her
first
ad
was
form
Kotex.
“After
that
I
did
an
ad
for
People
First
and
for
a
casual
wear
later.
The
ads
continued
while
I
was
keeping
myself
open
for
films",
she
quips.
When
asked
why
she
opted
for
a
second
or
third
lead
in
Aisha
in
which
it
is
Sonam
Kapoor
who
is
playing
the
lead,
Amrita
shoots
back.
“Firstly
it
is
tough
to
bag
a
leading
role
when
you
are
a
newcomer
from
nowhere
and
do
not
have
anyone
connected
to
the
film
industry.
Secondly
Rhea
Kapoor,
Sonam"s
sister,
who
is
the
producer
of
the
film,
told
me
that
it
was
a
fabulous
role
that
she
was
offering
me.
I
grabbed
it
because
my
face
does
not
have
market
value
and
I
know
for
a
fact
that
money
rides
on
films.
In
terms
of
what
I
can
do
as
an
actor,
knew
that
I
was
getting
a
fantastic
role
from
an
A-Class
banner
like
Anil
Kapoor
Productions."
Amrita
plays
the
role
of
Shefali
Thakur,
who
is
from
a
small
town
called
Bahadurgad.
“I
play
a
Punjabi
girl
who
meets
Aisha,
who
wants
to
give
her
a
makeover
and
play
a
match
maker.
Shefali
has
busty
eye
brows
and
wears
dowdy
clothes.
I
should
concede
that
it
was
quite
a
tough
task
for
me
to
play
the
character,
especially
since
my
Hindi
isn"t
good.
Manjushri
taught
me
the
nuances
of
the
language
and
helped
me
work
on
my
character
with
ease,
down
to
every
small
detail.
I
made
it
a
point
to
watch
vintage
films
like
Guddi,
Mirch
Masala
etc.
I
had
read
the
book
Emma
and
also
seen
two
different
adaptations".
Amrita
hastens
to
add
that
in
the
film
Aisha,
her
character
has
been
fleshed
out
much
more
than
what
it
is
in
Emma.
“Shefali
is
very
funny
without
trying
to
be
funny
and
sets
out
to
speak
whatever
is
in
her
mind.
My
character
in
the
film
stands
out
because
she
belongs
to
the
high
society
and
also
is
a
drama
queen.
I
could
relate
to
Shefali
because
she
has
simplicity
and
innocence,
which
are
there
in
me
too",
Amrita
asserts,
without
a
trace
of
modesty.
Talking
about
her
director
Rajshree
Ojha,
Amrita
states
that
she
was
quite
thorough
in
her
research
for
the
film.
“It
was
fun
working
because
Abhay
Deol
was
easy
to
get
along
with.
And
I
had
to
be
by
the
side
of
Sonam
most
of
the
time
and
we
could
gel
easily
though
she
is
younger
to
me
by
three
years."
To
prepare
for
her
part
and
get
into
the
skin
of
the
character,
Amrita
attended
a
reading
workshop
with
actor
M.K.
Raina
–
who,
by
the
way,
plays
the
role
of
Aisha"s
father
in
the
film
too
–
for
three
days.
“I
went
to
the
sets
with
a
blank
page.
It
was
comforting
to
now
that
like
me,
Ira
Dubey
and
Liza
Heyden
also
were
newbies
facing
the
camera
for
a
Hindi
film
for
the
first
time.
I
needed
to
be
more
dramatic
because
my
character
is
quite
loud.
I
made
it
a
point
to
wear
salwar
kameez
and
speak
in
chaste
Hindi
for
over
a
month."
Though
she
is
bound
by
a
contract
with
Anil
Kapoor
Productions,
Amrita
says
that
she
can
take
on
any
film,
if
she
likes
the
script.
Amrita"s
favorite
actors
are
Naseeruddin
Shah,
Shabana
Azmi,
Merryl
Streep,
Jack
Nicholson,
and
Robert
D"Nero.
She
also
admires
Sridevi
though
was
upset
watching
her
in
films
like
Chandni
and
Chaalbaaz.
Amrita
says
that
though
she
is
a
film
buff,
she
does
not
see
each
and
every
film
and
her
favorite
directors
are
Imtiaz
Ali,
Dibakar
Banerjee
and
Anurag
Kashyap.
Amrita
feels
that
her
age
is
not
at
all
her
limitation
and
is
of
the
opinion
that
it
is
not
necessary
to
be
old
to
get
meaty
roles.
As
far
as
the
syndrome
of
the
casting
couch
is
concerned,
she
confesses
that
though
she
had
heard
about
it,
she
did
not
experience
it
when
she
was
modeling
for
two
years.
“You
have
to
be
careful
about
the
banner
which
you
choose
or
the
people
you
interact
with.
I
have
been
very
careful.
When
I
get
an
offer
through
a
coordinator,
I
ask
him
or
her
lot
of
questions
and
only
then
do
I
decide
to
go
in
for
the
meeting
with
the
producers".
Amrita
avers
that
she
is
not
at
all
open
to
skin
show.
“If
you
wear
something
which
is
very
skimpy,
it
will
show.
Though
I
am
an
extrovert,
I
am
also
a
little
shy.
If
skin
show
is
very
intrinsic
for
a
character
and
is
not
necessarily
incorporated
for
voyeuristic
delight,
then
I
would
perhaps
consider
it.
Thankfully
for
my
character
in
Aisha,
there
was
no
need
to
wear
anything
vulgar."
Amrita,
who
likes
the
magic
of
connecting
with
the
live
audiences
on
the
stage,
is
now
ready
to
put
in
all
her
emotions
in
one
shot
and
go
in
for
a
proper
build
up
in
films.
“I
want
to
do
interesting
roles,
which
give
me
immense
scope
as
an
actor
to
perform.
At
this
stage
in
my
career,
my
only
ambition
is
to
be
a
good
actress."