Ever since her win in the Miss India contest in 2004, Tanushree Dutta's has been making her mark in Bollywood. In 2005, she worked on two films simultaneously: "Chocolate" and "Aashiq Banaya Apne." Her performance in the latter garnered her much recognition. More recently she's starred in "Good Boy, Bad Boy" and "Raqeeb" in 2007 and the 2008 film "Saas bahu aur Sensex."
What's your favorite Bollywood film? "Mughal-E-Azam," starring Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari. It's one of the few period films that depict the grandeur of the Mughal era woven in with a classic love story. It has a timeless, sincere appeal to all generations.
And your favorite non-Bollywood film? "Pearl Harbor," amongst many others. History has always been my favorite subject, especially relating to World War II. Also, there aren't too many war films in Bollywood to choose from. The way a love story has been introduced into the storyline is especially why I liked it so much.
Who's your favorite actor or actress outside of Bollywood? Russell Crowe, because I loved his work in "A Beautiful Mind," "Gladiator," "A Good Year," etc. Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp. I think that Julia Roberts is the most talented actress.
Which actors or actresses outside of Bollywood would you most like to work with? Apart from my favorites, I would say the new Bond guy, Daniel Craig -- he's hot!
And which director outside of Bollywood would you most like to work with? I love watching the movies of Tarantino, Spielberg, Woody Allen, Mel Gibson. If you ask me my fairy-wish then these are the names.
Which film would you most like to see given a Bollywood adaptation? "Casanova" starring Heath Ledger...it can easily be adapted into a Bollywood version. It's a love story, and the Bollywood viewer can never get enough of mush! Besides the way I see it, maybe a song or two can be pushed in -- I mean, there is scope!
Who's your favorite non-Bollywood onscreen couple? Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in "Pretty Woman."
What film would you recommend to someone just getting to know the world of Bollywood cinema? Well one has got to start with "Sholay"... then "Aradhana," "Anand," "Deewaar," "Agnipath," "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge," "Satyam Shivam Sundaram," "Mera Naam Joker" and "Gadar." Those are the movies that define Bollywood and its golden years enough to make one fall in love with Bollywood cinema.
How do you see Bollywood films influencing films outside India? And how do you see international influences changing Bollywood film? The interest in Bollywood seems to be growing. Similarly, a lot of work that happens in Bollywood seems to have a heavy influence from international films in terms of advanced technology and process and content.
How do you see the role and perception of Bollywood films to an international audience? In recent years, interest has definitely grown towards Bollywood films despite language barriers. That explains the popularity of some Bollywood superstars in countries like Japan, Indonesia, U.K., amongst many other non-Hindi-speaking countries. Good for me, since I belong to the newest generation of actors -- the base is set, in a way!