Aishwarya Rai has done it, Frieda Pinto is doing it, and now Payal Rohatgi is set to become the latest Indian export to Hollywood. The former Big Boss contestant's route from B-grade flicks to mainstream success has not been easy.
''I did not have anybody to guide me on what kind of films I should look at, and I goofed up in that big time,'' says Payal. ''The journey for me was very difficult but I worked on myself to be stronger as an actor and rejected many movies.''
This included turning down Yash Raj Productions offer of a part in TASHAN. Payal explains, ''The role was not the kind I was willing to do, but I would definitely like to work with them in the future- and I know I will.''
The 36 CHINA TOWN and CORPORATE star recently wowed the crowd when she made a presence at this year's Filmfare Awards. The actor, whose latest release DIL KABADDI saw her paired opposite Irrfan Khan, is buoyant about her career at home and abroad.
Hoping to follow her co-star's overseas success, Payal says, ''SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE has been a great achievement,'' adding, ''It has opened the doors of Hollywood for Indian cinema.'' She reveals, ''My fans will see me in a lot of different roles which I will start working on soon. There are a couple of big things lined up including a Hollywood project.''
(Steven Baker is a UK writer who divides his time between London, Delhi, and Mumbai. Best known for his writing on the Hindi film industry, his work regularly appears in a range of Indian, NRI, and international publications. Steven Baker is presently the Co-ordinator of the British Council's Creative Writing course in New Delhi. He has also appeared in 15 Bollywood films).
