I don't want to be just a showpiece in a film: Soha Ali Khan

New Delhi, Nov 13 : With several performance oriented roles in her repertoire, she has, in a short stay in the Mumbai film industry, established a niche for herself as a thinking actress with powerful portrayals in films like 'Rang De Basanti', 'Mumbai Meri Jaan' and 'Khoya Khoya Chand'.

Actress Soha Ali Khan says she wants to do roles that provide a scope for performance. ''I want to do roles that offer a score for performance. My role in a film should make a difference to the film. I don't want to be just a showpiece or add to the glamour quotient in a film. I am an actress and want to showcase my acting prowess in a film,'' Soha told UNI in an interview.

Soha, who will be seen on the silver screen in 'Tum Mile', a romantic film set in the backdrop of the 2005 floods in Mumbai, says that as an actress she wants to do all kinds of films provided they gave her scope for performing.

''As an actress, I want to do every kind of film. I just want to perform. Though it is not necessary that a glamorous film will not have good performances, more often than not one does not get to display one's acting potential in a film that has glamour as its USP, '', Soha said.

Incidentally, 'Tum Mile' is Soha's first film with Vishesh Films, helmed by Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt. It also pairs her for the first time with Emraan Hashmi. ''I am a big fan of Vishesh Films. I like the fact that they give equal importance to the hero and the heroine in their films. 'Tume Mile' is as much Sanjana's (her character in the film) story as it is that of Akshay (Emran). So, it gives me ample scope for showing my acting prowess,'' Soha said.

Talking about the film, Soha said, ''it is a different kind of film in that the realism of flood has never been shown in Indian cinema. In this sense, 'Tum Mile' is India's first natural disaster film. Also, the love story in the film is a very relevant love story which the youngsters of today will be able to relate to.'' Asked if she was apprehensive working with Emraan Hashmi given his image as a 'serial kisser', Soha said, ''I have seen Emraan's films and I feel that if one removes his serial kisser tag, he has done some really good work in the past. I have particularly liked him in films like 'Awarapan', 'Gangster' and 'Jannat'. In fact, I was eager to work with him because of his successful box office graph. I think Emraan is a very professional actor and works very hard on his films. He is always on the sets on time and well prepared with his lines.'' Releasing worldwide today, 'Tum Mile', set in the backdrop of Mumbai rains in July 2005, is about how the deluge reunites two ex-lovers who had moved on five years ago after being in a live-in relationship. What starts off as a seemingly innocuous, albeit awkward encounter between ex-lovers Akshay and Sanjana on a flight back to Mumbai, ends up as a roller coaster ride through some of the darkest hours of Mumbai as they see the city get swamped with disaster and loss and are forced to stick together in this time of crisis.

The story shifts perspective between their past and present. A glorious but crazy past of two starkly different people falling in love, the differences at first being new and exciting.

Gradually with time, they journey through the emotional pitfalls attached, the constant bickering, the frantic and urgent making up, and irreconcilable differences that give way to an inevitable separation.

Directed by Kunal Deshmukh, who earlier directed the successful 'Jannat', 'Tum Mile' has music by Pritam.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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