I can't go around asking for roles: Neha Dhupia

Neha Dhupia has been around for more than six years now and has done films as diverse as "Mithya" and "Julie". But she neither believes in boasting about her body of work nor is she keen to approach leading actors and filmmakers to rope her in for their films.

"This is the way I have been throughout my career. I am not the type who would go and tell everyone what I have done in the past," Neha told IANS.

After having debuted opposite Ajay Devgn in "Qayamat" (2003), she has worked in close to 30 movies.

"What's the point in doing that when you have your work to speak for itself? This is not to say that I am less ambitious than anyone. I work as hard as anyone else. It's just that I can't serve myself on a platter," she said.

This is the reason why she is not complaining even if she is playing a supporting role in films like "Singh Is Kinng" and just released "De Dana Dan" with Katrina Kaif as the leading lady opposite Akshay Kumar.

"There is a thin distinction between lead and supporting roles today. You may not be a romantic lead in a film, but then you have to see the kind of value you bring to a film.

"For example, when Vipul approached me for 'Singh Is Kinng', I asked him why he was giving me that role. When he told me that he could visualise only me to be doing that role, I took it as a backhanded compliment."

Same held true for "De Dana Dan" where Priyadarshan felt that he could see a naughty opportunist girl in her. In the film, Neha plays a club singer who has a 'bindaas' attitude towards life and is a 'huge advantage taker'.

"I am happy that he felt so. My role is quite spunky in 'De Dana Dan'. There is a lot of spark in it.

"When it comes to commercial cinema, I have to thank people like Vipul, whose sensibilities I completely agree with, and Priyan Sir, with whom I have worked in 'Chup Chup Ke' and 'Garam Masala' earlier. They have always approached me whenever there is something good in the offing," Neha said.

However, she has the trio of Rajat Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla and Vinay Pathak to thank for the complete shift in mindset that she went through at a crucial phase of her career.

"These are the people responsible for opening up different avenues for me. By working in movies like 'Mithya', 'Raat Gayi Baat Gayi', 'I Am 24' and 'Pappu Can't Dance Saala', there is an altogether different dimension that I have been able to explore.

"I owe a lot to them," said Neha who is happy to be juggling between hardcore commercial mainstream movies and new age offbeat cinema.

Last updated on Nov 28^th, 2009 at 08:37 am IST--IANS