‘It’s time I prove myself’

Sneha Ullal was known as the Aishwarya Rai-lookalike when she entered Bollywood but the actress is now keen to carve a niche for herself in the industry.

Published: Tue 23 Feb 2010, 7:41 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 12:29 PM

After featuring in spooky thriller Click, she feels it’s time she proved her calibre to people who misguided her when she first came to Bollywood.

“Click is not my comeback in Bollywood because the film doesn’t revolve around me. I need a film like Lucky (her debut vehicle) to make a comeback; then I can show what I can do,” Sneha said.

“Now it’s time I prove myself because there are a lot of people who misguided me in Bollywood - whom I trusted. I never knew Bollywood is like that,” she said. The young actress has already signed two Hindi movies, including one opposite Akshay Kumar. “I am doing a film with Ashok Tyagi where Akshay Kapoor is my co-star and there is another film with Shubir Mukherjee. The film is being launched by Joy Mukherjee’s son Sujoy. One of them is a thriller, the other is a love story and both are expected to release later this year,” said Sneha.

Sneha made her debut in 2005 opposite Salman Khan and her second release was Aryan: Unbreakable (2006) with Sohail Khan. After that she moved down south and featured in Telugu films like Nenu Meeku Telusa...? and Ullasanga Utsahanga. “In the south, people are very genuine unlike Bollywood. Here people will misguide you and take you in the wrong direction. That’s what happened with me,” said Sneha.

The 22-year-old feels she owes a lot to southern cinema. “I won’t stop doing films in the south ever. It teaches you how to be an actor...how to be a lady. I don’t know about Bollywood as I haven’t done much work here.”

But at the same time she is keen to leave her mark in Bollywood as well and says she will be less choosy about roles than earlier. “I am going to do any role now that takes me to another level. If my role is good, I don’t mind even if it’s a D-grade film,” said Sneha.

“I was choosy, but it didn’t work for me. I need to learn because that’s what an actor is all about. She needs to play different kinds of characters. You can’t stick to one genre.”

Asked if she has any regrets about her initial years in Bollywood, Sneha said: “I don’t regret anything because Lucky gave me name; people know me today because of that film.”