I'd love to do Lara Croft: Neetu

From the glam-doll of Garam Masala to a cloth-seller living off the streets in Traffic Signal, newcomer Neetu Chandra has
already played two ends of the spectrum. In Tollywood, she���s now taking it to the next level, by doing an action role...
She's on the sets of her Tollywood movie, Satyameva Jayate, where she plays a police officer. Slightly out of breath, she answers our call, speaking excitedly over the commotion of the movie-shoot, "You won't believe the stunts I just shot..." Without her background info, you might find it hard to reconcile the image of a pretty lady with someone doing action scenes.But just for the record, she's a taekwondo black belt who's represented India. When we meet for a chat, we notice there's more to this youngster with an affable smile and stars in her eyes.
Bombay dreams
It was in her 11th standard that she happened to find her way on the cover of a sports mag. "A friend of mine talked me into modelling for a magazine cover, and I, who'd never used sunscreen, was now sitting before the mirror with so much makeup that I thought I looked like a ghost!" she recollects. But it did put her on the modelling track, and she was soon to become the face of many a big brand, including the popular, 'Maina ko karna ho impress...' commercial. But the beginnings were not quite rosy, as she says, "When I came to Bombay, for a whole year, no one gave me a job.
But sports had taught me to work hard, and I went to all the auditions. After a year, assignments started raining!" The exposure she received from commercials paved the way to films when she was offered a role in Garam Masala. "I'd worked with Priyadarshan sir for an ad film. I was overjoyed when he called me for the film!" The young actress has six films set to release this year, including Rahul Dholakia's Mumbai Cutting and Dibakar Bannerjee's (Khosla ka Ghosla fame) Oye Lucky Lucky. (Tamil film)
Mum's the world
Acting came naturally to Neetu who had done theatre all through school. "I'm a trained Kathak dancer and learnt a little bit of shastriya sangeet too. Mom's my angel, who got me to do all this, and it was again her, who ensured I practice martial arts since age 12! Today, I realise how much these skills have helped me as an actor," she gushes.
Hyd connect
Neetu incidentally happens to be the first Bollywood actress to be transformed into a gaming character. Named after her and developed by a city-based company, it is set to launch worldwide as a mobile-game.
So, how did that come about? "When I was looking for a role requiring martial arts, I didn't expect it to come this way. But the game is fun and even the character's face resembles mine. I'd love to do a Lara Croft, if the game be made into a film!" she tells us. She's all excited about her Tollywood project, Satyameva Jayate, as she says, "I'm playing a lead role, and again picked the role because it had a lot of action!"
Glam quotient
Haven't we seen many a pretty face in Bollywood start with a glam-role and get stuck there? Wasn't she wary of the same, playing the glamourous airhostess in Garam Masala? "It's actually funny, people forgot my glam image after the de-glam Traffic Signal.
Finally, ask her if it was a tough transition from sports to the glam world, and the lady admits, "Honestly, it is tough at times, but even the photographer taking my picture is doing his job, so I must oblige with a smile." Away from the flashbulbs though, "I play basketball in every city I shoot! Delhi, Bombay...you name it, I know all the basketball courts," she signs off!