lekha talked abt RAJ

She's been called the Mandira Bedi of the Indian Premier League after her stint as a TV host for the tournament last season. Now, the vivacious Lekha Washington is all set to be the next southern sensation stepping into Bollywood, after Asin and Shriya Saran. She will be seen playing the female lead opposite Rajeev Khandelwal in Peter Gaya Kaam. Lekha describes her role in the film in three words: fun, powerful and physical. "And almost 60 per cent of the film depends on me," she says.

What was it like working with Rajeev? "He's a great co-actor — intelligent and chilled out. The film includes some stunt scenes, for which we've been rehearsing together. It's very exciting," she adds.

Hailing from the Tamil movie industry, Lekha says that people in Mumbai recognise her as the glam IPL anchor. Asked how different Bollywood is from the Tamil industry, Lekha says, "Bollywood is a lot bigger and certainly more challenging."

With Asin tasting success and many others venturing into Bollywood, what does the competition mean for Lekha? "I don't bother about competition. I don't have time to keep track of the debutants but I certainly feel the pressure to prove myself. I don't believe in looking at others but proving my worth. That's what I'm here to do," she asserts.

So, having got the look, is she going for glam roles or character-driven ones? "The one thing I'd never want is to be stereotyped. I want to do everything under the sun. I'd love to do something like Lara Dutta's role in Billu, but I'd love to do glam roles as well," says Lekha. "But the look has to suit my character and the role. Glamour without a cause is pointless," she adds.

Now that she's jumping on board the Bollywood bandwagon and vaulting into the big time, how is she going to handle it all? "I prefer to be in the spotlight," says Lekha, adding, "I think one knows what they're up for when they come here. I don't believe in living in a shell, but going out and grabbing all the attention I can."