I want to play a terrorist: Tisca Chopra

New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) After playing a hassled mother in 'Taare Zameen Par', actress Tisca Chopra now wants to play a terrorist, an adventurous housewife and even former prime minister Indira Gandhi!

'I am getting excellent film offers. There is an absolute range of roles that are coming to me and people are waking up to the fact that actors have evolved.

'But I would like to play a terrorist, a person with a mental problem like an obsessive multiple disorder, a housewife who breaks all the shackles and goes on a wild and mad adventure and Indira Gandhi. I would also like to do a period film,' Tisca told IANS.

The actress, who played Darsheel Safary's harried mother in 'Taare Zameen Par', is more keen on working with known directors than actors.

'More than the actors, I want to work with different directors like Mani Ratnam, Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Yash Chopra, Ashutosh Gowariker and Rakesh Roshan,' she said.

Tisca was here to launch Zoom channel's new bi-weekly show 'Bollywood Case Files', which she will anchor.

The actress forayed into Bollywood in 1993 with box office dud 'Platform'. It was followed by other flops like '15th August', 'Baali Umar Ko Salaam' and 'Taqdeerwala'.

When she didn't get her due in Bollywood, Tisca took a sabbatical from the big screen during which she was involved with theatre and did plays like 'Mahatma v/s Gandhi', 'Salesman Ramlal' and 'Inshah Allah' before shifting to TV with Balaji Telefilms' 'Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii' that gave her recognition.

Later she was then seen in TV soaps like 'Astitva - Ek Prem Kahani' and 'Sarrkkar: Risshton Ki Ankahi Kahani'. She was also involved in a consumer grievances show on TV called 'Main Hoon Na'.

Although she got her initial share of fame from her stint in daily soaps, Tisca now keeps away from serials and reality shows.

'TV is another mode of entertainment and a very strong medium with which people can relate to. But the time lines, set for a show on TV, are causing the quality to suffer. This compromise on quality bothers me,' Tisca said.

'Acting in serials takes a lot of time. That is the reason why I am only hosting TV shows as of now. I will not do any reality shows either because I don't think I am that entertaining as a person. I am quite dull,' she added.

Not many know that before getting married to Air India pilot Sanjay Chopra, Tisca was called Priya Arora and she ventured into Bollywood with the same name.

Recently she came into limelight with 'Taare Zameen Par' for which she also received a nomination in the best actor in a supporting role (female) category at the 53rd annual Filmfare Awards.

On being asked for her reaction when she first heard that the film had been selected as the official entry for the Oscars in the foreign film category, she said: 'I was having a very bad day when I received the news on phone. I was earlier trying hard to be cheerful but after hearing the news I was elated.'

Apart from her show on Zoom channel, Tisca is doing a comedy with actor-director Rajat Kapoor and will be next seen in Nandita Das' directorial debut 'Firaaq' releasing next year.

So wasn't she apprehensive starring in Nandita's film as it was her first film as a director?

'I was only as apprehensive as when I was doing Aamir's directorial debut 'Taare Zameen Par',' she asserted.