I regret not working with SRK

By Subhash K Jha

Post-Vivah Amrita Rao was looking for that role which would take her beyond the old-world elegance of Sooraj Barjatya's imagination.

She has at last found the right project.

"When I got a call from Shyam Benegal's office saying he wanted to meet him I was over the moon. He has always been on my wish list.

And when that call came I pinched myself. I didn't ask any questions. I immediately said yes. He has told me nothing much about my character and the script.

After I saw what he did with Karisma Kapoor in Zubeida I just felt I should be directed by him. I'm very excited. For a while I was traveling. When I returned I met him, and we were on."

Amrita loved subject. "I play a village girl and the film entitled Mahadev was shot in Hyderabad. My co-star is Shreyas Talpade. I saw his work in Dor. And I absolutely adored him. "

Shyam Benegal hasn't seen Amrita in any film, not even Vivah. "What really excites me is that I get to do a workshop. With Soorajji there was no workshop. But he did all the homework for the actors.

We'll start workshop every shortly. And for me who's had no formal training in acting this is a like an all-new avenue opening up."

Amrita's last release was E Niwas' My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves "It was a very cute script…Now I have Anil Kapoor's Short Cut with Akshaye Khanna and Arshad Warsi. I've worked with Akshaye in Deewaar. Arshad was there in Wah Life Ho To Aisi. But we didn't have any scenes together. They're such versatile actors."

Amrita has done a wacked-out comedy Masti. "Short Cut isn't an out-and-out comedy. But Arshad has the funniest part since Circuit in Munnabhai."

She's almost completed a Telugu film with Mahesh Babu.

Any regrets? "I couldn't shoot the all-star guest song for Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om. I was shooting for my Telugu film in Austria. But I did participate in the item song in Farah's brother Sajid's Hey Babby. For Farah, anytime."