'Shahid is a live-wire'

Claims actor Amrita Rao, who shares a great work and personal relationship with the man.

Good things come in small packages. And the petite Amrita Rao's big dreams and bigger confidence make her a strong contender in the glamorous world of Bollywood. Three hits in less than two years — and the girl has generated ripples with her innocent looks and sweet smile. So how does she take the girl-next-door image? "Images change with the kind of roles you do. I respect viewers' opinions, but yeah, I wouldn't want to be typecast," she replies.

From a college-goer in Ishq Vishq to a rebel in Main Hoon Na and now a coy bride-to-be in Suraj Barjatya's next, Rao has undergone a complete metamorphosis. Was that a conscious attempt? "It's not at all conscious. It just depends on the kind of role you're doing. When I did Ishq Vishq, I was very young and with time the look and performances has improved," she reasons. But in an industry where sensuality rules the roost, how comfortable is she among all those hot divas? Rao has her answer ready: "You don't need to be voluptuous to be a good actor. At the end of the day, it's your talent that counts. Moreover, the industry needs more young faces. Gone are the days when Rajendra Kumar could be convincing playing the role of a college-goer."

Her forthcoming film is about commitment in marriage. Sharing the lessons she learnt from the film Amrita says, "Whether it is an arranged marriage or a love marriage, doesn't matter to me. All that does is knowing a person well enough. Sometimes one doesn't really know the would-be life partner even in case of a love match, and at times even arranged marriages work well. So I think one has to be very mature and understanding and not let one's infatuations carry one away."

At a time when low budget films are doing quite well, Rao is happy and content in her safe cocoon. "I don't want to start experimenting yet," says the actor who has to her credit a Best Debut award for Ishq Vishq. She has been paired with Shahid for the fourth time now. Mention that and she starts laughing, "Shahid has a great sense of humour. We share good tuning. He's a very sincere actor and when he's around, all the other actors too get energetic. He's a live-wire," she gushes. Guess this should make Kareena, who incidentally is pals with Rao, smile too!

kanpur.times@timesgroup.com