Bollywood debutant gets Hollywood chance with Dev Patel

MUMBAI - Even before making her debut in Bollywood, model-turned-actress Tena Desae got the chance to act in John Madden’s Hollywood film “The Best Exotic Marigold” opposite “Slumdog Millionaire” actor Dev Patel.

Desae, who will be seen in upcoming Hindi film “Yeh Faasley” releasing March 3, has featured in several commercials for products like Fair & Lovely, Titan Raga, iPill and Hero Honda, among others.

Acting came as a different ball game for her altogether, but she admits that working in both Hollywood and Bollywood was equally challenging.

“Shooting a film itself was a new experience for me, so it’s difficult to say which was more fun or tasking for me,” Desae told IANS.

About working with Dev, she said: “I can’t say much about the character but Dev was very down to earth and has no airs of being the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ hero,” she added.

Desae’s journey to Hollywood started through a friend, who introduced her to the director. After a series of auditions, she was selected for the movie, which also features Judi Dench and Bill Nighy.

The decision to shift to the acting world was a tough one for the young girl.

“Acting is what I always wanted to do. But it took me a long time to arrive at this decision of taking acting as a career,” the actress said.

“I used to watch a lot of films and drama series and eventually realised that nothing moves me more than a film and thought acting is probably what I should do,” she added.

Her work profile in Bollywood includes Yogesh Mittal’s upcoming directorial debut “Yeh Faasley” - a thriller based on a father-daughter relationship. Veteran actor Anupam Kher plays her father in the film.

She will also be seen in the comedy “Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene”.

Desae is particularly excited about “Yeh Faasley” as she has a central role in it.

“You choose to do certain kind of films that bring out your potential as an actor,” she said.

“It will always be one of my biggest films ever, because it’s completely my film. I am the protagonist. This is a type of film that I will get probably once or twice in my entire life,” she added.

Unlike many newcomers, it isn’t just big budget romantic dramas on Desae’s mind.

“I want to do some candyfloss films at some point but I want to do some valid commercial, meaningful films. Also, I don’t think I will plan my career based on the budget of the film,” she added.