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“The problem with Kannada film scripts is that there are no roles for women,” says actress Natasha who is in the city shooting for Santosha. Natasha, known for her performance in Kucch To Hai and popular numbers such as Ding Dong and Bindaas, has also been accepting offers, slender though they are, for South Indian films.
Natasha, who is known as Anitha in the Kannada industry, is a captivating sight on the sets. Especially when she’s trying to pronounce alien Kannada words — “Avanige, nanabage yenu anasthu?” (How does he feel about me?) she mutters onto her mobile phone during one shot. Away from the lights and camera, she admits, “Yes, language is a problem. But I always ask for the meaning and that helps.” Even without formal training in acting she says she’s learned a lot in the five years she has been in films.
Veera Kannadiga starring Puneet Rajkumar, marked her debut in Kannada films. “It was completely hero-oriented and left little scope for the actress,” she says. About her current venture, she says, “Santosha too is far from being a woman-oriented film. But I took it up because mine is a guest appearance and I play the role of a sacrificing girl. Everyone will empathise with my character.”
Natasha is busy all the time, what with daily workouts and scouting for good scripts. “I will soon begin shooting for Koi Aapsa with Aftab Shivdasani and another one called Ek Se Bure Do with Arshad Warsi,” she says.
What’s it like knowing to industries up close? “One remarkable difference between Bollywood and here is punctuality,” she says. “Here, if a shoot is scheduled for 7 am, it will begin latest by 7.15 or 7.30 am. But in Bollywood a 7 am shoot will never begin before 11 am, for everyone is waiting for someone or the other to land up!”
kavyachristopher@indiatimes.com

STARRY EYED: Bangalore Times captures the sultry beauty of Natasha who is making a splash in Kannada movies