Bollywood actress Minissha Lamba sheds her good girl image in new film Kidnap.
There was a time when Bollywood actresses shirked from kissing on-screen or wearing skimpy outfits. Suffice it to say, behind every successful titillating scene was a harried director who had to cajole the starlets to shed their inhibitions.
Cut to 2008 and it's a whole different story. The current crop is more than happy to shed their holier-than-thou images and embrace sassy roles. Taking a cue from A-listers such as Aishwarya Rai and Kareena Kapoor, sporting a bikini in a movie (even if there is no pool in sight) has become the latest trend. So, when news leaked in that Minissha Lamba was the latest entrant of Bollywood's bikini-bandwagon in Kidnap, tabloid! tracked her down to get the juicy details.
A malaria-stricken Lamba confessed that strutting around in a bikini was no walk in the park.
"I worked very hard to pull it off. Even before the film's shooting began, I went on a work-out overdrive to get rid of that flab. Wearing a bikini is one thing, but to look good in it is quite another," says Lamba.
To an extent, this model-turned-actress's apprehensions at pulling off the role of a tease were understandable since she is known for her impossibly perfect roles. After making her debut in 2005 with critically acclaimed romantic film Yahaan, Lamba has acted in a string of Miss-goody-two-shoes roles. But, wearing a bikini is as far as she would go.
Comparisons
"I have drawn the line with the bikini scene. That's as far as I am willing to expose myself on screen. And for the record, there's not going to be any more nudity in my movies either," says Lamba.
Though these words remind you of the out-of-action Preity Zinta who had similar views when it came to on-screen exposure, Lamba says that such comparisons are inevitable.
"Ever since Ranbir Kapoor [Bollywood's latest heartthrob] compared me to Preity Zinta, everybody assumes that I am following her footsteps. I have always admired Priety for the way she handled her career and now her business. But I am not aping her in any way," says Lamba.
Eager to carve her own identity in the industry, Lamba says that she is waiting for the day when a newcomer would be hailed as the "next-best-Lamba".
"Comparisons are flattering. But I'd rather have my own distinct identity in the industry," says Lamba.
Determined to forge ahead and give her three-year-stint in Bollywood a boost, Lamba confesses that her personal life is almost non-existent.
"There's no Mr Right in my life. In fact, I have been so busy with my work and dance shows that I have not really had the time to look out for him," says Lamba.
Lamba who was a part of the recently concluded Bollywood dance extravaganza Jashn 2008 with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor at the helm, was surprisingly reticent when asked about her dance experience.
"I love performing at dance shows and it was heartening to know that Jashn 2008 was a huge success. About my experience of working with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, well what can I say... they were cordial," says Lamba.
Eager to move on to less turbulent topics, Lamba said that in a few weeks she would be on the road promoting her next release Kidnap.
"There's more to the movie than the bikini sequence."
Bikini beckons
Here's a list of stars who sizzled in bikinis. Those movies may not have fared well at the box-office, but this particular shot has surely been etched in the collective memory of Bollywood buffs.
Kareena Kapoor in Tashan
This film's script was wafer-thin and the acting mediocre. But the saving grace was Kapoor walking out of the Greek waters in a lime green bikini.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Dhoom 2
This movie was a runaway hit with bikes, boys and bikini-clad Ash.
Sharmila Tagore in Aamne Saamne
Hailed as the first bikini girl of Bollywood, this yester-year diva is believed to have kicked off the bikini- trend.
