Neha Dhupia: Bollywood hero catches peculiarity of the industry

Neha Dhupia talks about her maiden American television stint as this Diwali, her musical miniseries Bollywood Hero, premieres on HBO in India.

How did Bollywood Hero happen?
My casting was old-school style, just like that of a beginner. A friend of mine told me the producers of the series were conducting auditions. Most actors don’t like auditioning because they believe that after a considerable acting experience, roles should be offered to them on the basis of their previous work or their popularity. But I have no such reservations. So I gave the audition. They liked it and hence offered me the role.

How real is the portrayal of the Indian film industry in the Bollywood Hero?
It is a spoof, yet every comical scene is based on real-life incidents. In the show, there are sequences in which Bollywood heroines are shown throwing tantrums. For example, they won’t step out in the sun without a large umbrella hovering over them. The idiosyncrasies as well as the erratic behaviour of the film industry is very correctly portrayed. And since it is a musical, there is also a lot of Bollywood-style dancing.

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