I can't settle for anything but the best: Asin

Nov 8, 2008 Subhash K Jha

Mumbai, Nov 8 (IANS) Southern actress Asin, who has two big Bollywood movies in her kitty - Aamir Khan-starrer "Ghajini" and Vipul Shah's "London Dreams" - says she can't settle for substandard deals.

"I'm very excited about both 'Ghajini' and 'London Dreams'. I've a long list of criteria for selecting a role, beginning with the director, banner and co-star and ending with the cinematographer. I want them all to be just right. Am I being greedy? Perhaps. I'm sorry. I can't settle for anything but the best," Asin told IANS.

In "London Dreams", Asin plays a singer and gets to play the guitar and sing on stage along with Ajay Devgan and Salman Khan.

"It's something I've never played before. In fact, I think it's a role never seen in Indian cinema. Beyond that I can't talk about it," she said.

The makers of her Hindi films have forbidden her from talking to the media and Asin has no choice but to comply.

"Such is life," she sighed. "I'm quite willing to remain quiet until I'm asked to talk. I'd rather wait for people to see me than hear me."

Asin moved to Mumbai a year ago but sadly she has no friends in Mumbai.

According to a source, this is because Asin is seen as a threat by the ruling regime of female superstars.

"The other girls in Mumbai don't feel threatened by one another. But the minute a striking pretty and talented actress from the South comes, they get all jittery. They see Asin as the next No 1 after Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi and Aishwarya Rai," said one of Asin's male co-stars.

The actress added: "It is true all my friends are in Chennai and Kochi. I'm yet to make friends in the Bollywood film industry. I don't know why. But here it is just work and back home with my parents."

For Asin, it's bye-bye to Tamil and Telugu cinema as she is pursuing a full-time career in Hindi movies. She is now planning to buy a house in Mumbai.

"We're looking at some places. And we'll zero in on the place we want soon," said Asin, who turned 23 on Oct 26.

Commenting on her age, she said: "I can't lie about my age because at the age of 14 when I started working in southern films, I gave my first interview where I gave out my birthday. Now I'm trapped forever."

While "Ghajini" is scheduled for a Christmas release, "London Dreams" is expected to hit the screens in summer 2009.

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