Raai Laxmi, or simply Laxmi, is excited about her Bollywood debut in Julie 2, directed by Deepak Shivdasani and produced by Pahlaj Nihalani.

The film, which was caught in a legal battle with former producer N.R. Pachisia over copyrights issues, finally released on Friday.

The actress, who is known for the relationship that she had with cricketer M.S. Dhoni, says she has moved on from that phase of her life. “We have both gotten over it and we have carried on with our lives. I don’t want to open that chapter again,” she says.

Raai Laxmi, who has been a popular actress down South, says: “Julie 2 is the 50th film of my career. It’s a beautiful film that speaks about the struggles of an actress. This film is a thriller and there are plenty of situations to which people will connect. The character goes through plenty of struggles but it’s not just the story of an actress but the journey of a girl who speaks up. Because she is an actress, she has the guts to talk about the  atrocities she has faced.  It was like one actress narrating the story of another.”

Raai Laxmi reveals that the role required a lot of skin show.

“It was an exhausting role for me both physically and mentally. It required me to lose and gain weight simultaneously. But there is nothing sleazy in the film and it has been shot aesthetically,” she says.

Besides Julie 2, the actress is also looking forward to a southern film. “I have not signed any films in Mumbai as yet.  I don’t want to be typecast and I will be choosing my roles carefully.  Right now I am waiting for the reactions of both my critics and my fans,” she signs off.

Shama Bhagat