I don’t mind item songs: Neetu

It’s not the easiest thing for a debutante to do a film which has two other new faces. But Neetu Chandra who made her Bollywood debut in Garam Masala two and half years ago, not only managed to get noticed, but even got plum roles thereafter.

Neetu claims it was a gamble that she took deliberately because she was sure an Akshay Kumar-John Abraham starrer would bring in the crowds, something that a solo heroine project with a newcomer “may not have assured”. And she was not wrong. She did Madhur Bhandarkar’s Traffic Signal and now One Two Three directed by Ashwani Dhir.

Playing a Haryanvi cop who’s a bit of a loudmouth was fun. “I had to take special classes in diction to play that character. It was fun doing this film and my hard work seems to have paid off as I have been appreciated for the role,” says Neetu.

Neetu’s kitty is full right now with Rahul Dholakia’s Mumbai Cutting, Dibakar Banerjee’s Oye Lucky Lucky Oye and PC Sreeram’s Flat No13-B.

Most outsiders have a tough time in carving their own place in the film industry. What makes Neetu so lucky? The perky actress says “luck” isn’t the only thing that has made her successful. “I choose my roles with care and pay close attention to the banner before signing on the dotted line. My hard work, positive energy, parents’ support and luck together has worked for me,” she adds. She’s also done her share of southern films and is currently working in her first Tamil film Yaavarum Nalam with actor Madhavan and director Puri Jagannath’s untitled Telugu film.

For a change, Neetu doesn’t come out with a politically correct answer when we ask her what she feels about ‘skin scenes’. As she says, “It entirely depends on the script. I don’t think it is a bad idea and if one can carry the character well, then nothing like it.” And even item songs are welcome. “Aishwarya Rai Bachchan did an amazing job in Kajra re and now Rakhi Sawant is fantastic in Krazzy 4, so what’s wrong in doing them. If they are shot well, I don’t mind item songs and will do them,” she says.

A family-oriented girl, Neetu spends “quality time” with her family, and is a black belt in Taekwondo and a basket ball player, a youth icon for Unicef and works for cancer and AIDS patients.

Guess what? She’s even got a sense of humour. If her hectic lifestyle doesn’t give her time for love, Neetu derives solace from the fact that she is “seeing eight to 10 guys — all the heroes of my films”.

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