Dear reader, it makes me very happy to share with you this week, that I have just signed on to do a film! It’s only my second film, and I’m really looking forward to the experience, to learning from the new situation, and to hopefully doing my best in my role. I’m cast opposite Rahul Bose, who’s an actor I greatly admire, and I’m sure I can learn a lot from him as well.
I’ve been almost hesitant to share the news about acting, because of the all-pervasive national obsession with cinema. It makes me feel like I’m jumping on the bandwagon of multitudes of women who scrape and claw their way from any possible profession into Bollywood’s seductive clutches. So let me clarify — I have no major Bollywood aspirations, nor do I want to leave music for an acting career! It’s just that I love to try new things, whether acting or writing, and I think people really grow from stepping out of their comfort zones in that way.
It’s been about six years since my first film (Pamela Rooks’ Dance Like a Man) and recently I’ve been feeling curious about the prospect of doing another. The first few years after that film, I stayed away from doing more, as I thought too much attention had gone towards that and the book I released in the same year. I wanted to focus on music and establishing myself as a performer and composer.
Scripts kept coming my way, and I’ve had to pass on many over the past few years. Some were cheesy spins on my own character, some made me scratch my head, unable to see why anyone would think of me! Some made my eyes light up, but sadly had to be passed on due to dates or other circumstances. It’s great that finally something got sent that simultaneously seems like a lot of fun, with lovely co-actors, an interesting storyline, and dates I’m not already booked for on tour!
This film is going to be in ‘Hinglish’, as it’s now so commonly called! I’m a little nervous about that because my Hindi is quite weak and I don’t have a great accent. But I really hope that having a musical ear will be to my advantage, and that I can work on getting the Hindi dialogue out in a respectable fashion.
Scripts kept coming my way, and I’ve had to pass on many over the past few years. Some were cheesy spins on my own character, some made me scratch my head, unable to see why anyone would think of me! Some made my eyes light up, but sadly had to be passed on due to dates or other circumstances. It’s great that finally something got sent that simultaneously seems like a lot of fun, with lovely co-actors, an interesting storyline, and dates I’m not already booked for on tour!
This film is going to be in ‘Hinglish’, as it’s now so commonly called! I’m a little nervous about that because my Hindi is quite weak and I don’t have a great accent. But I really hope that having a musical ear will be to my advantage, and that I can work on getting the Hindi dialogue out in a respectable fashion.
Over the next few weeks, between concerts and recording work, I’ll be working with an accent coach — how bizarre and fun that sounds! Maybe I could get him to teach me other accents, too, just for fun. I’d love to have a convincing South African lilt or mimic the fabulously funny Dutch impersonations from Goldmember. Hmmm. I can just see his frown of disapproval in my mind. Sigh, I’m so easily distracted. Where were we?
Yes, the film! I’m excited, and a little nervous. I hope I have your good wishes. Have a wonderful weekend!