I am not considering Shor In The City as my debut film

What’s the first thing you’d notice when you meet a model turned actress? I’d say ‘legs’. Guess I wasn’t lucky this time around because I was put on a call to talk to the 2006 Miss Great Britain turned Bollywood actress Preeti Desai. Yes, she is a ‘gujju’, Read More">but we’ll come to that later. FirstRead More

What's the first thing you'd notice when you meet a model turned actress? I'd say 'legs'. Guess I wasn't lucky this time around because I was put on a call to talk to the 2006 Miss Great Britain turned Bollywood actress Preeti Desai. Yes, she is a 'gujju', but we'll come to that later. First up: her voice. It took me back to my London days. And believe you me, twenty minutes with her was a revelation, in more ways than just one. Though one look at her and you'd think she has just come out signing a deal with Victoria's Secret. Now that'll make a lot of noise in the U.K and India, but currently she is definitely making some with her debut Hindi film Shor In The City. So how much can you know about a person from a twenty minute phone call chat? The answer is: Loads. Firstly, if you are a page 3 regular, you'll stay away from her because you'll certainly spot Abhay Deol in the background. If you aren't a regular, you'll not even think of going near her. Remember I told you that she is a 'gujju'? So don't mess with her! But all said and done, it's hard not to fall for Preeti Desai's charms. She's the kind of movie star you can actually imagine being friends with. She isn't the usual Bollywood type. But a word to the wise: If you've recently suffered a tough breakup and are looking for another soul mate, or are generally sullen or cynical regarding matters of the heart, avoid spending time in the company of Miss Preeti Desai, because she is much more than just a 'girl next door'. She ain't your usual types and she won't keep quiet to prove her point. No wonder she is creating a lot of Shor In The City, as UK's Harrow Observer columnist and Bollywood Hungama's London correspondent finds out.

"Mumbai is just so different"

Mumbai and London are totally different places. Mumbai is just so different in characters and people. Plus, they haven't got The Twilight Players and Jacket Potatoes too (laughs). I'm hoping to make a little bit of noise while promoting my film Shor In The City and it all starts now.

"I am not thinking that Shor In The City is my debut"

This for me is stepping into the acting world. I am not thinking that Shor In The City is my debut. Shor In The City's role for me is a very sweet role which I experimented with. I am not thinking of dodging anyone. I am testing the waters right now.

Read More">“I hope I stay in Mumbai but I’m going with the flow” I hope I’m here to stay. If work comes my way then why not. I don’t plan too much ahead for my future. I will just breeze through and see what comes my way and then decide whether or not I’ll be stayingRead More

"I hope I stay in Mumbai but I'm going with the flow"

I hope I'm here to stay. If work comes my way then why not. I don't plan too much ahead for my future. I will just breeze through and see what comes my way and then decide whether or not I'll be staying in Mumbai or not.

"I hope I go to the UK to promote my film"

My fans and friends back in the UK are enjoying every bit of Shor In The City news and are looking forward to its release. The kind of support and noise they'll bring for this film will be unparalleled. You feel loved when you see all these people supporting you and following your climb into the world of acting. I am really happy with the way things are moving for me as of now. I hope I go to the UK to promote my film and I hope my producers are listening (laughs).

"It's all about being you. That's what I've learnt from Abhay"

I've grown up watching films, Hindi and English. I don't pick up things from people. It's all about being natural and that's what I've learnt from Abhay Deol. It's not about picking acting skills from different actors but just be yourself and put yourself across when it comes to your own work.

"Tusshar is a very lovely and a sweet person"

I haven't shared screen space with Tusshar Kapoor in the film. My co-star is just Sendhil. We had such a tight schedule as we had only two weeks to shoot. I really wanted to shoot more (laughs). It was so quick. Shor In The City was an awesome experience. But right now, I am sharing a lot of space with Tusshar because we are promoting the film together. He is a very sweet person. He is lovely and a nice guy.

"I purely came to India because I grew up watching Hindi films"

I am comfortable acting in English too and not just Hindi. It wouldn't be something that I'll have to work on. I purely came to India because I grew up watching Hindi films, and given the chance, I grabbed it. I am an Indian by origin. I wanted to come to my mother land and that's exactly why I picked up the Indian Film Industry. I am going with the flow right now. But I am open to British films and Hollywood films too.

“I missed my jacket potatoes” I do not miss my English food because even at home in England, my mother would cook Gujarati delicacies like bhakri, shaak and theplas and dhoklas (laughs). I am used to eating Indian food anyway. But initially, when I moved to Mumbai, Read More">it was a bit hard to adjust myRead More

"I missed my jacket potatoes"

I do not miss my English food because even at home in England, my mother would cook Gujarati delicacies like bhakri, shaak and theplas and dhoklas (laughs). I am used to eating Indian food anyway. But initially, when I moved to Mumbai, it was a bit hard to adjust my food habits. I missed my jacket potatoes (laughs). I have kind of adapted everything now and make jacket potatoes at home in Mumbai.

"Go listen to the soundtrack of Shor and make some noise"

The music of Shor In The City is very grunge and real. It goes with the flow of the film. Though I love listening to commercial so called 'filmy' music too but this is quite different from what you've heard before. Go listen to the soundtrack of Shor and make some noise.

"My favourite films are Maine Pyaar Kiya & Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels"

My all time favourite Hindi movie is Maine Pyaar Kiya. I've watched that over and over again as a kid. In present times, I really liked Udaan. It's a beautiful film. I've liked Jodhaa Akbar and Om Shanti Om too. So now you know I am quite moody when it comes to watching films (laughs). Pretty Woman has to be my all time favourite Hollywood film. I've also loved our British films like Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and RocknRolla.

"I'd love to work with Salman Khan"

If Salman Khan calls me, I'll keep my cool and pretend to be cool. Of course yes, I'd love to work with Salman Khan. He is fabulous. He is great. His last film was a super hit. Who wouldn't want to work with Salman?