I might make India my second home: Caterina Lopez

MUMBAI - She is Hollywood star Jennifer Lopez’s cousin and is all set to make a splash in Bollywood with an item number. Caterina Lopez loves being in Mumbai, is a Shah Rukh Khan fan, wants to learn Hindi and says she just might make India her second home.

This is Caterina’s second trip to Mumbai and loves the idea of making a career in the Hindi film industry.

“I’m loving being in Mumbai. The weather is perfect right now. It’s neither too hot nor too cold. This is my second trip to India and on this trip I did get a chance to know Mumbai better. That’s exciting,” Caterina told IANS in an interview.

“I came last year around summer time for the first time. That time I had come to shoot for the item song. I couldn’t go around Mumbai that time and didn’t even have the time to shop because I was very busy. But this time I did get the opportunity to go around and I loved it,” said the leggy beauty, who admits that she doesn’t have her sister’s singing genes.

Caterina will be seen dancing in a sari in the film “Bhindi Bazaar Inc” and to the words “Taan ke seena hoja Kameena”. The movie by debutant director Ankush Bhatt stars critically acclaimed actors Deepti Naval, Kaykay Menon and Pawan Malhotra among others.

The Latin beauty feels that the song was a good opportunity for her to try her luck in Bollywood.

“I did know about Bollywood. It is pretty known in America; so I did have a good idea about the industry.

“The director approached me for this song and I thought that this will be a great platform for my Bollywood introduction. I also quite liked the song, and really connected with it and thought that this is the perfect thing for me. So I came to India and we shot it and I had an amazing time,” Caterina said.

But she did have her share of difficulties while shooting the song in Hindi, an alien language for her.

“It was not easy learning the whole Bollywood style of dancing because it’s very different. It’s a different ball game altogether. Learning the song was also very tough but once I got a hang of it, it became better.

“Honestly I think I did a good job,” she said.

Caterina, who refused to reveal her age, said she had earnest plans of learning Hindi.

“I’m still struggling with the language. Here and there I’ve learned a few words, but I’m definitely planning to get a teacher and learn Hindi completely,” she added.

Asked if she would like to make a career in Hindi films, Caterina said candidly: “I do have those plans … there are talks about a few projects and hopefully once the film comes out we’ll see the reaction of the people and then I plan to do more work in India.”

“I’m looking forward to that and maybe India might just become my second home. Who knows?”

(Ruchika Kher can be contacted at ruchika.k@ians.in)