I felt proud voting for first time: Amrita Rao

May 2, 2009 Subhash K Jha

Mumbai, May 2 (IANS) Actress Amrita Rao cast her vote for the first time this election and says she is proud of the voting ink mark on her finger. So excited was she by the prospect of voting that she reached the polling booth even before the gates had opened.

"At 7 a.m. (Thursday) I was the first voter at the booth in the municipal school in Mahim. I feel so proud of being able to vote for the first time. I keep looking at the black mark on my finger proudly. For years I envied that tell-tale mark on my parents' finger," Amrita told IANS.

She said her chosen candidate had to fulfil three prerequisites - "be well-educated, young though not inexperienced, and without a criminal background".

If she was so enthusiastic about voting, how come she wasn't asked to be part of Karan Johar and Tarun Mansukhani's "Vote Aapke Haath Mein Hai" campaign that featured stars of the likes of Abhishek Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan, Asin and Sonam Kapoor?

"You'll have to ask them why I wasn't part of it," quipped Amrita, who has starred in films like "Main Hoon Na", "Vivah" and "Welcome To Sajjanpur".

Amrita apparently has antagonised the Karan Johar-Yash Chopra by refusing to do "Bachna Ae Haseenon". She was offered the role that Minissha Lamba finally essayed.

"I won't say I'm tired of playing the sweet, 'girl next door' who looks at life each day with wide-eyed wonder. But I do crave for a change of image. In my next release 'Short Cut' I play a very glamorous girl. For the first time I'm being dressed up by Manish Malhotra. That does say something about the characters I've played so far. So yes I declined 'Bachna Ae Haseenon'. I couldn't relate to the character," she explained.