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'I can run around trees for the right person'
… says Poorna Jagannathan who is willing to work in rom-coms
P Sangeetha
This lady with bohemian looks and an in-yourface attitude began her filmi career with a bang with Delhi Belly, opposite Imran Khan. But after a crackling start in B-town, Poorna Jagannathan chose to put Bollywood on the backburner and instead shifted her focus to Hollywood. The actor is now gearing up for a couple of Hollywood projects — Peace, Love and Misunderstanding, and Thanks for Sharing. "I worked with an ensemble cast, including Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener, Elizabeth Olsen and Rosanna Arquette in Peace, Love and Misunderstanding. I learnt a lot from them. The movie is a quintessential motherdaughter story. I play Jane Fonda's permanently stoned best friend. Thanks for Sharing, on the other hand, is a dark comedy written by Stuart Blumberg who wrote The Kids Are All Right. It was probably the most hilarious shoot experience I've had," says Poorna.
So why is she missing from the Bollywood circuit? "There are some things slated for this year, but I'll talk about them when I start shooting for them. I don't have a pre-set idea of the roles I'd like to play. I just need the script to work and be believable," says Poorna. But will she ever do a rom-com in Bollywood and run around trees? "It depends on whom I'm running around the tree with. For the right person, anything is possible," says Poorna. So how is she planning to take her career forward in the industry? "I live in India now. There's a lot of cutting edge cinema coming out of here that I'd love to be part of. At the same time, I'd love to stay relevant back home in the US too. I go back and forth often enough for that to happen," she says. So will she be interested in south Indian films, given that she is a half-Tamilian? "Of course I will. The southern film industry is known for some great directors and it's avant-garde work," she says.
Poorna had stated earlier that South Asian Americans are stereotyped in English films. Has she seen any improvement? "It's still largely the case, but it is changing. I was in New York City this month and I auditioned for some mainstream roles and a ton of lead roles that weren't open to South Asians five years ago," she signs off. sangeetha.p@ timesgroup.com
DESI GIRL GOES VIDESHI: Poorna Jagannathan
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