Tamannaah with Ajay Devgn in Himmatwala

Sajid Khan, in an interview to t2, said that he hadn’t seen any of your films before signing you...

Forget before signing me, Sajid still hasn’t seen any of my south Indian films! Vashuji (Bhagnani, co-producer) showed my pictures to Sajid. He was very clear that he wanted a south Indian actress. And I was offered the film within 15 minutes of meeting him. Once we started shooting, I wanted Sajid to see a song that I had done but he refused!

Did you have any doubts about being part of a remake or filling Sridevi’s shoes?

None at all. This Himmatwala is very different from the original. And who can ever have doubts about a film that is directed by Sajid Khan and produced by Vashu Bhagnani? This is a dream launch.

But this is not your debut Bollywood film. Didn’t you have a release in 2005 called Chand Sa Roshan Chehra?

That’s true. But really, I think of Himmatwala as my launch.

Didn’t Salim Akhtar, the producer of your debut film, take legal action against you recently?

It has all been taken care of. I was 17 years old and in school when I did that film. So technically, I was a minor. So even if there was an agreement like he says, it can’t be held valid.

You have had a very successful career down south in both Tamil and Telugu films. But was Bollywood always your destination?

Every film I did after Chand Sa Roshan Chehra was crucial. I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. When I was offered Sri, my first film in the south, I decided to try my hand at it. Luckily, my films in the south did well at the box office and were appreciated by critics. I continued to get offers from Bollywood but I thought they were not exciting enough. I was ready to wait it out until a Hindi film that I would be excited to see came my way. And, Himmatwala happened.

Asin, Ileana D’Cruz, Kajal Aggarwal, Taapsee Pannu and you — the floodgates between the south and Bollywood seem to have opened...

I think regional cinema is the obvious place for Bollywood filmmakers to look for fresh talent. When they pick an actress from the south, they get a fresh face with lots of experience and a fan base of her own. It may seem like so many of us are here now but it’s only natural. All of us are doing interesting work.

The likes of Asin and Ileana have shifted base to Mumbai. Do you plan to do the same?

I am actually from Mumbai. I did my schooling from Maneckji Cooper in Juhu which incidentally was also Sajid’s school. When we started shooting, we realised that in school we were in the same house though obviously I am way junior to him. As for whether I would now only do Bollywood films and not Tamil and Telugu, I don’t think so. I would like to work in any language I get a challenging role in.

Coming back to Himmatwala, are you prepared for all the comparisons with Sridevi?

I am, but I don’t understand why anyone would compare me to her. To begin with, I am not copying her. This film is not a spoof. Also, there will always be only one Sridevi in Bollywood. She is a living legend. I’m a huge fan of Sridevi. The original Himmatwala released before I was born, so I haven’t seen it in a movie theatre but I love her in films like ChaalBaaz and Lamhe. I saw Himmatwala just before we started shooting and she is fabulous.

You have been very clear about what you will and won’t do on screen.

That’s right. I don’t kiss on screen and I will not wear a bikini. I haven’t felt the need to as yet and I hope that I don’t need to in future as well.

Your “first” Bollywood co-star is Ajay Devgn and you’ve already signed your next with Akshay Kumar. Have you set your sights on A-listers only?

Well, who wouldn’t want to work with an Ajay or an Akshay? I would be stupid not to do a film that has a superstar headlining it. Apart from the fact that the chances of such a film being seen by a lot of people are high, one also gets to learn a lot working with such seasoned actors. It’s a win-win situation.

Is the film with Akshay also a masala entertainer?

It is. As an actor, I can only choose the best from the films that are offered to me. I am excited about shooting with Akshay soon.