Keeping fingers crossed

Gandhinagar Grapevine

Little did Neha Shetty, a model-turned-actor, think that she would be living her dream. She says that she was keen on making a career in the entertainment industry but movies were the last thing on her mind.

Playing the lead opposite Ganesh in ‘Mungaru Male 2,’ Neha says that she is both excited and nervous.

“I know it may sound a little silly when I say that I am both excited and nervous. I am excited because my debut in the film is big but I am nervous thinking about its outcome. It has taken a year for the film to complete and every single person involved in the project has worked very hard. The release is not far away and I am keeping my fingers crossed,” says Neha.    

The young lady feels that any aspiring actor must face the camera confidently and this is where her stint in modelling has done her a lot of good in terms of boosting her self-confidence. She says that she has had to work very hard with no godfather to guide her.

 “I knew my journey in the film industry wasn’t going to be an easy one. I’ve had to learn everything about acting and what goes into filmmaking from scratch. But I am prepared to work hard and I am sure that my experiences will enrich me both as an actor and as a human being,” she says. 

She dubs her experience of working on her debut project as ‘memorable’ because she not only learnt how to act according to the situation but also picked up a few lessons in acting and what goes on behind the camera.

 “The film will literally take the viewer on a world tour because we have shot in the most interesting locations and travelled to unique places. It was also a learning process,” she says.

Neha has already begun getting offers in Kannada but says that she hasn’t signed anything just yet.

“I am waiting for the release of my first film and then I will contemplate signing more projects,” she says. Whose advice does she take before signing a project? “I consult my parents and my younger sister. Their feedback is important for me before I accept any work,” she adds. She doesn’t believe in restricting herself to the Kannada film industry and is open to experimenting in other language industries. “I don’t believe actors must restrict themselves,” she says.