My Action Replayy role wasn’t bad when offered: Neha Dhupia

Neha Dhupia is seen in an insignificant role in 'Action Replayy', says she is more excited about 'Phas Gaya Re Obama'.

MUMBAI: Neha Dhupia is seen in an insignificant role in director Vipul Shah’s Action Replayy, but the actor dismisses it saying the part wasn’t that bad when it was offered to her. She is more excited about her latest release in which she plays a robber.

“It happens. Maybe it wasn’t so bad when it was offered to me. But in any case it was a guest appearance. Vipul is a friend and I did it for him. It was a very friendly appearance,” Dhupia, 30, said.

In her new film Phas Gaya Re Obama, Dhupia has donned the role of a robber called Munni Madam. The film has been directed by Subhash Kapoor.

“I never imagined playing the part. It was only his faith. It’s a very challenging role and I thought there are so many actors who have the potential to play the part. It gives a new dimension to any female actor. But he (the director) wanted me to do it and then we got into rehearsals. I always thought I am very urban, a city girl but once I got into this, I started thinking differently. I don’t know what started playing in my mind,” said Dhupia.

Phas Gaya Re Obama is a comedy film set against the backdrop of the global economic recession.

“I am not the heroine of the film. I am one of the boys, the hero of the film. It’s literally like that. I played a male part in a female form,” she added.

Dhupia has also made her singing debut with the film and she doesn’t rule out the possibility of lending her voice to soundtracks in the future.

“I just had to rap four lines. It was blown out of proportion by the media. I had said no to the song, but my director was insistent as he wanted a husky voice. And so it happened, I took six hours to finish it. I am the kind of person who pushes the envelope. You will never see me doing the same thing. So if it’s a rap this time, that doesn’t mean I will sing; and just because it’s a rap, it also doesn’t mean I won’t sing,” said Dhupia.

Would she cut a music album too?

“I don’t have patience to scratch a CD. I think my biggest struggle in being a musician would be sitting in a closed studio.”

After her crowning as a beauty queen in 2002, Dhupia made her way into films with the Ajay Devgn-starrer Qayamat: City Under Threat. After that she was seen in Julie and Sheesha as well as commercial hits like Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, Garam Masala, Singh is Kinng and Shootout at Lokhandwala.

Dhupia also tried her hand in non-commercial movies like Delhii Heights, Mithya and Ek Chalis Ki Last Local.

The actor, who has experimented with both mainstream and offbeat films simultaneously, believes one should not miss any opportunity to show off one’s acting skills.

“The fun part of being an actor is that I get different roles. I am lucky. And most importantly, I feel I should attempt everything now. You have one life, one career and very few choices —if you are not going to make the most of it, then there is really no fun in what I do,” said Dhupia.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2010.