Sridevi wowed us with her colourful avatar in 1983's Himmatwala, south actress Tamannah will take over in the film's remake, releasing this Friday.
Not many know that Tamannah had made a quiet start in Bollywood with a small budget film in 2005 called Chand Sa Roshan Chehra. It sank without a trace.
When I reach her newly-purchased home in Versova, a western suburb of Mumbai, Tamannah is busy dressing up for the rehearsals of the grand finale of dance reality TV show Nach Baliye, held over the weekend.
As she applies her make-up and sips on orange juice, we settle down to chat about Himmatwala, her transition from southern superstar to a Bollywood newcomer, and why comparisons to Sridevi are unfair.
Even before the script was in place, the comparisons between the old and the new Himmatwala had started. What are the challenges involved in living up to the audience's expectation?
Once I was offered the film, I saw the original Himmatwala to understand what Sajid (Khan, director) really liked from it. I wanted to get the essence of the film.
Thereafter, right from the first day of the shoot, I was only following Sajid's guidance.
