Direct dil se

Direct dil se…from Australia

Rajiv Sharma I Juhu

She shares her last name with the world's largest fast food chain, McDonalds, and hopes her foray into Bollywood with Baabul will make her as famous. Ellicia McDonald, the Australian stunner, who has already taken the modelling world by storm, will soon set hearts aflutter with her item number in the Amitabh-Salman-Rani-John multi-starrer releasing today.

That she gelled so well into the Bollywood scenario will be evident, but Ellicia is going through the butterflies-in-the-stomach syndrome on the eve of the release though. She smiles that nervous smile, her grey-green eyes all lit up, "I am eagerly awaiting the release of Babul. It was great fun to do this song sequence with some of the top stars of Bollywood. And, please do not call it an item number!" Oops! Okay.

She explains, "I was thrilled when I was offered this song. It is actually a fun situation in the film. The best part was all the team came together for these scenes, and there was so much camaraderie on the sets with all the actors. And, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Hema Malini were so cooperative." The actress, who is a native of Australia, says the entire experience of working with these actors was enjoyable, as they had no airs despite being the best. "It was a great learning experience for me."

About her one-year stint in the city she relates, "The western suburbs is where it's at. I've been in Juhu for a year now, and it's exciting living here." So does she detest the overcrowding, "Actually, when I landed in Mumbai, a year ago, it was quite shocking for me, because back in Australia the population of the entire country is about 1.5 crores, and apparently, Mumbai city itself has more numbers."

Starting her career as a model for various advertisement campaigns for leading companies, she has set the ramp on fire, and is huge favourite with all the leading designers for their fashion shows. That she has drawn an overwhelming response from the fashionistas would be an understatement. No wonder then, that she put modelling as her top priority. "Though I do have a few film offers, I'm more interested in modelling as my long-term career," Ellicia reveals.

Of course, the odd music video or two will always draw her. Currently, a rave on almost every music channel for the music video, 'Is dil se… for the well-known singer Sukhwinder Singh, she says the theme of the video really clinched it for her. "The theme song is about this girl, me, who falls in love with an Indian boy. But, when they decide to take it forward and settle down, they drift apart, as the boy wants to stay back in India, and girl needs to go back to her own country,"

Ellicia says with a twinge of emotion. "The challenge of doing a music album is that the entire story has to be told to your audience in the short span of five minutes. I'm doing another song sequence for a film, but it's a little too premature to give the details right now," she's evasive.

And, what does she do in her leisure time, "The suburbs have so much to offer. I am still discovering newer and newer aspects even after a year. I love moving around in the western suburbs. I have learnt a smattering of Hindi to get me by. And, my day is made when I have masala dosa or when I hangout at my favourite restaurant 'Out of the Blue' at Bandra," her limpid eyes light up in wide-eyed wonder like a child.

oo kool ima luk forward to d song