Happy b'day Amrita!

Her petite frame and demure Indian looks send quite a few male hearts a-flutter... But, there's more to the Vivaha girl Amrita Rao – she is a trained classical singer and says that in her taxing profession, it's music that keeps the ball rolling for her.

As she celebrates her birthday today, the actress who's been shooting in Jaipur for her film Victory, opens up to JT about things close to her heart. "I've learnt classical music for two years.

In fact, I feel incomplete without singing, specially old Hindi songs of Lataji and Rafisaab. I love music, it is a part of my soul," says Amrita. "At one point of time I wanted to participate in a reality talent hunt show and thought that I'd never be able to do so. But, by God's grace today, I visit their sets as a guest judge," she adds.

And now, with the biggest names in Bollywood opting for television to host game shows, etc, how long will it be before Amrita too plans to do so? "Television has almost become unavoidable for us. We need to mark our presence on reality talent hunt shows to promote our films. But, I am not yet ready to be a regular face on TV," she smiles.

And when the pretty maiden is not shooting for films or reality shows, she is digging heavily into books. "I have taken to reading quite a bit lately. Earlier I wasn't an avid reader, but now, I simply love it. Currently, I am reading a Sidney Sheldon and will then move onto Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography, which was gifted to me by a friend," she shares.

And it's this reading that helps her study the characters in the books/stories carefully. "I have found that apart from being a source of knowledge, books give an insight into various characters. An actor needs to observe people to roll out natural performances. Since books possess vivid description of characters, they help us largely in understanding and playing different roles with ease," says Amrita.

Cut back to the subject of Rajasthan, and Amrita says she's completely taken in by the beautiful locales of the state. "For many, the desert symbolises pessimism, but for me, it's so artistic. I am so fascinated by the shadows of camels and the bright coloured attires that local people sport," she says.

The state remains special to her also because her first film Ab Ke Baras was shot here. "I especially love the Pink City. I wish I could meet Gayatri Devi and visit her palace. I have read her book and I am so mesmerised by her lifestyle and the way she carries herself."

Amrita also has a few films in the pipeline that include Shyam Benegal's Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur and Neeraj Vora's Shortcut. Talking about her forthcoming films, she says, "I have always played the role of a city girl in most of my films but in Mahadev... I play a rustic and that's what makes this role interesting for me."

Reluctant to divulge details about Shortcut, she says, "It is a costume drama and I play a glamourous role in the movie."