Genelia D’Souza is as pleased as punch. Her blockbuster Telugu film Ready is set to be remade in Tamil, and she’s definitely got her finger in the pie.
The last time she acted in a Tamil remake (Santosh Subramaniam) of her Telugu Bommarillu, it turned out to be a phenomenal hit. Little wonder, she’s expecting an encore.
“It’s a good film. When I did Ready, I did not anticipate it to be remade in any other language. But, I am very glad it has.
I am also very excited to work with Dhanush as both of us are young,” says Genelia, speaking about the yet-to-be-titled remake.
Her lovable character of Puja is going to be changed, as are some plots of the film that is expected to go on the floors soon. But, that’s not all.
For all those who thought that this effervescent actor has bid adieu to Telugu, Tamil and Kannada films can breathe easy. Genelia is gearing up to work opposite Ram Charan Tejain in the Bommarillu Bhaskar-directed Orange.
“It appears as though I am tied down by Bollywood, but I have always said that I will keep coming back. It is difficult to handle work when you are trying to concentrate on four different film industries, and it’s not like I don’t want to do work here. But, many a time, I’ve had to refuse due to a date crunch,” says Genelia.
Is that why she refused to work in the Kannada remake of the record-breaking Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge? “I may have. Honestly, I don’t even know if I was offered the movie because 90 per cent of the movies that are offered get turned down due to previous commitments. I am happy that I got dates for the Ready remake and Charan’s film,” she confesses.
In the time of remakes, there is one that’s been stuck for a while now — the Hindi remake of Bommarillu. What’s her view on the Anees Bazmee-directed It’s My Life co-starring Harman Baweja? The release has been pushed by another six months, reportedly due to Harman’s poor form at the box office. “I am not aware of the release date yet, but I can understand why.
The multiplex strike has not given any film a good chance at the box office this year, and I think it makes sense to push back the release. I am cool because I learnt with Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na the importance of the right release. We were ready with the film eight months before it finally saw the light of day!” she tells us.
Ask her if she is bored of playing the ‘bubbly’ girl in her films and she immediately counters it with, “When I choose my films, it is a good mix. I will do a Katha, which moves to the offbeat medium and then I come back and do a Ready, which is an out-and-out commercial film. As far as my bubbly image goes, it’s a media creation.
The bubbly Hasini ( Bommarillu) is different from the bubbly Sasirekha (of the Telugu Sasirekha Parinayam). While Hasini knows what she wants, Sasirekha is lost. I have created a slot as a young actress that not many can fit into. In this industry, you can grow old very easily but in my roles I am playing young not a matured older woman.”
It’s a time-tested formula. Make hay while the sun shines. As for Bollywood, Genelia is keeping her fingers crossed for her forthcoming film Dance Pe Chance with Shahid Kapur. “It’s a film about a struggler and a good love story to go with it. After this January-release, Hook Ya Crook with John Abraham will be out, where John plays a crazy con guy and I play a lawyer and his love interest.”
Small screen debut But what’s really got her hooked is her first TV reality show called Big Switch where children from super rich families team up with slum kids to help them achieve their dreams. “It was a reality check for me, and because of the subject and my close involvement with the show, I would break down easily on the sets.
I was given the opportunity to be a friend who reasons and questions rather than be a typical host,” says Genelia, adding that she is open to doing more of television as it helps her connect with her audience better. “My FB page is chock-a-block with positive comments right now,” she smiles.
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