I will do anything for Bihar: Neetu Chandra

Bollywood actor Neetu Chandra is fierce about her Bihar roots. "For Bihar I will do anything," she stressed. Chandra has come to perform in `Fantasians-2009' scheduled on Saturday at the Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir.

The event is being organized by the Notre Dame Academy Almuni Association and Chandra is an almuna of this school and Bihar's only girl in Bollywood. "My director was pressing to go ahead with the shooting. But I cancelled the shooting to be here," she remarked and pointed out that this would be the first time she would be performing in Bihar. The proceedings of the show will go to her school for upgrading its computer lab.

The `Garam Masala' girl has a busy 2009. Her next film `13th B' is scheduled for next year. Other films `Khusat Prasad' and `Sandy' - the film launching Shatrughan Sinha's son Luv - are also scheduled to be released this year. "In Bollywood, I have to fight for my career and my image as a Bihari," she said, pointing out that she was often asked in Bollywood if she lived in a village in Bihar where farming was done.

"That's the image Bihar has," Chandra, who has lived in Patna throughout her life before shifting to Mumbai, stressed. She said that it took quite a lot of persuasion in Bollywood to make other stars to come to Patna. "Perhaps it is because of their past experience in Bihar," she said.

Though Bihar has thrown up quite a few male actors in Bollywood - Shatughan Sinha, Manoj Bajpayee and Shekhar Suman - to name a few, Chandra happens to be the only female actor, "Perhaps more women from Bihar will come to Bollywood if we change our mentality. The parents, schools and teachers all have to contribute. I was encouraged in school and by my parents. There are Bihari girls working for theatres in Delhi. Perhaps they will come," she said.

Talking about `exposing her body', Chandra stressed that she had no hesitation in dressing as per the demand of the character played by her. "If I have to wear a swimming suit I will wear it. There is a protocol which has to be adhered to or else there are thousands of others who will do it," she remarked. She said that she has no objection to working in Bhojpuri films. "But I have asked the directors to make a film which a child can see with his grandfather," she stressed, pointing out that it was the presentation which mattered. "One can look decent in a swim suit and vulgar in a saree," she stressed.link