India FM

Mumbai, May 9: Shree Ashtvinayak, which has been fast catching up to become one of the premier film making companies of the country today, have signed Neetu Chandra for not one, but as many as three films!

This indeed is big news for all who were wondering where had the young woman had gone despite getting appreciated for Traffic Signal?

“I hadn’t gone anywhere”, she laughs, “I was just waiting for the right project to come in and I feel the wait has been worth it.”

But anyone in her place would have been on a signing spree ever since her name got associated with Traffic Signal last year. Why almost a year before she plunged into a new project?

“I have always been like that”, she tells as a matter of fact, “If I was in a hurry to be visible before audience every third month, I would have done that quite easily once Garam Masala became a hit. Tell me, did I sound hasty even then?”

Not really, I confess, but then how did this 3 film sign-up actually materialize? It must not have come out from thin air for sure?

“I am sure not many would believe but seriously there is no story as such behind me signing the films. It was as simple as Shree Ashtvinayak giving me a ring, talking about the work I had done so far, and offering me three films there and then”, she divulges.

 With the kitty finally out of the bag, would she now mind talking about these 3 films?

“Ha ha, now that’s some suspense”, she teases, “Why not wait a little longer? See, there are number of directors on board for Shree Ashtvinayak. There is Priyadarshan, Abbas-Mustan, Rohit Shetty, Neeraj Vora and last but certainly not the least Madhur Bhandarkar. It could be any of these, you know!”

Now that she has been seen in two contrasting looks in Garam Masala and Traffic Signal, what can one expect from Neetu in her upcoming films? Is she going the glamour route with a much mandated ‘naach-gaana’ act or is she planning to take a middle of the route yet again, a la TRAFFIC SIGNAL?

“A mix of both”, she says quickly, “That’s a niche I want to build for myself where film makers are not required to come to me with a fixed mindset. They should be aware that I am someone who can portray any kind of role provided the character is strong and hence should not have any preconceived notions about me.”

Knowing that an out and out high-on-entertainment-value Golmaal 2 by Rohit Shetty is soon coming on floors, one sees the comic caper as first of her films with the production house. “I am not committing to anything on print, keep guessing”, she doesn’t catch the bait and signs off with that mysterious smile.