To act or not to Act

A fellow blogger wrote sometime ago that in India, everyone has an opinion about what another should do. What is right and what is wrong. And if their advice is not followed, they take it as a personal injury to their ego and sulk for ages, till you are forced to apologise for not listening to them. And if your plan of action did not work, you have to contend with gloating expressions and actual - 'I told you so's .

To act or not to act

Women actors are sluts. There are no two sides to this equation in Tamil Nadu apparently, as I am learning from my mother. So vehement is this opinion that we have now been fighting two days non- stop. As a model (sounds weird referring to me thus, since I dont really feel like a model. Models are leggy lasses who look like a million bucks at all time and come on TV wearing flashy clothes. Me, I have only done a couple of ads and I dont have the mandatory washboard stomach.) I was warned that I would be offered movies all the time. What I did not anticipate was that the onslaught would begin even before I become prominent or before a few dozen ads. I have been offered three films to date. One as a second heroine and two as a primary female lead. And yesterday, I was asked to appear in a couple of scenes in a movie. And it led to fighting again. Forget the fact that there would be no skin exposure involved or any romance with any male actors. (great banner and awesome actor by the way. ) Apparently actresses are considred sluts here. And however decent your behavior is, or the fact that you dont sleep around for either roles or for money doesnt matter. Hugging and romancing men on screen makes you a slut. For what Nalla Tamizh Ponnu (good tamil girl) will willingly involve herself in a profession where she would have to be physically close to different men and hug and kiss multiple men ? How will a "slut" like that find a "good" boy for marriage???

And no compromise can be reached. I am not aspiring to be a Vrisha or a Navanthara or a Gammana. I cant bear to even watch Commercial masala crap that is churned out in Chennai. And I abslutely would not agree to dance around trees with Jayam Tavi or a Vimbhu or a Jhanush. Or be fake abducted by a Bhasish Vidyarthi or a Payaji Phinde and cry for the hero to come and save me. Nope. Cant do such puke inducing stuff.

But I have great respect for a certain filmmakers. Mani Ratnam, his asst. Priya, Rajiv and Gautham menon, in the off chance that I might get noticed by them and asked to act in their movies . But even they are a no-no for my mother. No movies. Period.