If you have seen the Clean & Clear, Dove, Airtel and Micromax commercials, there’s no way you would have missed the pretty face that brightens up your television screen. Amyra Dastur may have started her career as a model, but it was Isaaq opposite Prateik Babbar that launched her on the silver screen. And it’s Anegan opposite Dhanush that will introduce her to Tamil moviegoers.
IssaqtoAnegan,has the transition been a conscious decision and why?
I wouldn't say it was a transition per se, but doing a south Indian film was a conscious decision when I realised how much great work is being done in the Tamil and Telugu film industries.
How didAneganhappen?Now that you have started shooting for it, tell us something about your experience.
K.V. Anand called me in July 2013 when I was promoting Issaq and asked me to come down to Chennai for a day. He narrated Anegan and told me a little about the character he envisioned me playing. I was impressed with Anegan 's story and the only hesitation I had was whether I'd be able to pull off the lip sync because I had no idea about Tamil. Anand had his assistant director prompt me and write out the lines on a placard which helped me utter them with ease. That built up my confidence.
Tamil is completely alien to you. Do you think this will affect your performance?
I write out all my lines in Hindi and memorise them for days. So, when it’s time for the take, the dialogue flow will be smooth. I always make the assistant directors write the meaning of each line in English so that I know what I'm saying, and with the director telling me where to emote and which word to stress, it becomes easier.
With so many established actors and many more making the shift, what do you think will give you an edge over the others?
I'm not looking to compete. With so much work in both Bollywood and Kollywood, I think we'll all find our way in these industries, especially if we concentrate on our work and our self-improvement.
A lot of rumours have been doing the rounds about your name change. What's your take?
I was named after my grandmother Amy, who died before I was born so it wasn't really my name. I wanted to change my name to Amyra so that I could keep the essence of Amy in my name but it would be MY name and mine alone.
You have expressed your desire to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ranbir and Arjun... Any particular reason for choosing them?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is my favourite director. His films have inspired me in some way and have made me want to act. Arjun and Ranbir are brilliant actors and I would like to work with them some day.
Quick takes
Things we don't know about Amyra
“I hate onions ... I will never eat food that has onions in it.”
“I'm afraid of the dark and I sleep with a nightlamp on.”
“I like listening to Bollywood item songs when I'm sad.”
“I am the biggest sweet tooth anyone will ever meet.”
“I like make-up and would love to learn more about it.”
Things Amyra loves about Chennai
Roadside dosas!
Cinema halls because people go crazy while watching films.
Roadside shopping.
The people.
