Lisa Haydon: Not Just Glamorous Roles For Actresses

'Queen' star Lisa Haydon feels nowadays Bollywood leading actresses are more interested in doing performance-oriented roles than just looking good on screen.

Citing examples of Deepika Padukone's 'Finding Fanny', Vidya Balan's role in 'Kahaani', among others, the model-actress says acting has gained more importance than glamorous looks.

"People are looking for actors these days more than anything else. All the girls are doing performance oriented roles and have been applauded for their roles. It's not about looking glamorous. It's a big mix. I don't think the girls are looking for those kind of roles anymore. That road block is no more there," Lisa said.

The 28-year-old actress, who made her Bollywood debut with Sonam Kapoor-starrer 'Aisha' (2010), says 'Queen' changed everything for her as people started taking her seriously now.

"I am so blessed that a film like 'Queen' came along. It sort of broke down all the walls for me. Earlier, I was considered a glamorous person and a model. 'Queen' gave me an opportunity and director Vikas Bahl allowed me to showcase my acting abilities," Lisa said.

The young star is now geared up for upcoming comedy 'The Shaukeens', starring Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor and Piyush Mehra in leading roles.

Akshay Kumar is in a cameo role in the movie. The film is the official remake of 1982 'Shaukeen', which had Ashok Kumar, Utpal Dutt, AK Hangal, Rati Agnihotri and Mithun Chakraborty in important roles.

Lisa says, though she is new to the industry, she did not feel any pressure while working with the veteran actors in the movie.

"They made me feel incredibly comfortable from the get go and it was a blessing. It was not intimidating experience at all. They were such confident volunteers and it's a stress free work environment. They give their characters such nuances and as a co-actor it helps to bring out your character more," she said.

Lisa would not mind doing a special dance number in a film but she does not like the word 'item girl'.

"I wouldn't mind doing dance films. I like to do a film where I can play a guitar. It really depends on what film and what song but I don't like the term item," she said.

PTI