Calcutta model Ushoshi Sengupta is on a high — she has landed a spot in Sajid Khan’s Housefull 2! A t2 chat with the girl from Prince Anwar Shah Road...

Congratulations! Tell us what you play in Housefull 2.

It is a cameo… 15 minutes. I am playing John’s (Abraham) girlfriend in college, Sonya. I am introduced in Papa toh band bajaye, a sequel to the hit song Papa jag jayega, as John’s girlfriend. It is a farewell song… a graduating day for all of us. And John and Akshay (Kumar) end up fighting because of me… two of the hottest men in the business! My character is of a hot college girl. She is little bitchy and mean.

They were looking for someone like a Miss India or a known model to do this cameo and I met Sajid Khan and auditioned for it. During my final meeting with Sajid, Farah (Khan) was also there. She had judged me at I Am She… so she already knew me. I remember Sajid telling me, ‘Ushoshi you were the only one who had a lot of enthusiasm for it.’

What was it like working with Sajid?

He is a fun taskmaster. Very strict at work but a lot of fun when you are not working. He kept cracking jokes that ‘Ushoshi is the name of a planet. It cannot be a human being’s name!’ He also kept pulling my leg saying ‘Do you think you idolise Sushmita Sen too much? That’s why you talk, walk and sit like her!’ After my first take, Sajid praised me a lot and I hope this cameo takes me ahead in the industry.

Why I wanted to start with a film like Housefull 2 is because it has 28 stars... I am the only girl with all the four boys (Riteish Deshmukh, Akshay, John and Shreyas Talpade) in the song!

And playing John Abraham’s girlfriend, what was that like?

My interaction with John was really funny. The first time I was introduced to him, he asked me where I was from. I told him I was from Calcutta. ‘Oh, you are a Bengali!’ he said and he had a big smile on his face. And I started laughing! There is a scene where John and I have a balloon between us and we have to hug and burst the balloon. He would hug me so tight that the balloon would burst. John, being the senior actor, kept telling me, ‘Usho, even if it is for 20 seconds, make the most of it.’ There were some four-five takes because the balloon just wouldn’t burst!

How was it being choreographed by Farah Khan in Papa toh band bajaye?

My first song ever and to be choreographed by Farah… it was like a dream! She was always very sweet to me and took care of me. Dancing wasn’t tough. I have been such a Bollywood lover that Bollywood dancing couldn’t be tough.... I have a glamorous look. I am wearing a short purple dress and have curly hair till my waist. Sajid was adamant about keeping my hair curly.

So your dream of becoming an actress is finally coming true…

I have always wanted to be a heroine… since I am not a star kid or from a filmi family, I thought modelling would make it easy for me. I am not taking up everything that is coming my way. It is a stress that every beauty pageant winner goes through… once you win a pageant, you want to get something big and nice. At times it happens, at times it doesn’t. It is better to do a small role in a big film than a big role in a wrong film.

You are also doing a Malayali film, Goodbye December…

MTV was doing auditions for a new show and I had gone for it. I ended up not doing the show because they finally cast a foreign model, but the director of the show, Sajeed. A, offered me this film. It is a musical love saga with three leads. I am playing one of them... an NRI Bengali married to a Malayali. I have a very classy look in the film… Kristy deCunha has done it… light-coloured saris with jackets and royal jewellery. I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to explore my acting skills. We start shooting from March 18. We will shoot in Shillong and Rajasthan.

How has your family reacted?

My dad is still sulking as to why it is not a Bengali film! I am waiting for something to happen to me in Calcutta.