I won't do Kannada films: Roma

As a Sindhi working in the south Indian film industry Roma Asrani could easily be clubbed with several other non-southie actresses like Simran, But Roma, who’s already made the rounds of the Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam film industries in her four-year-old career, refuses to be dubbed an import. “I was born and brought up in Trichy and now live in Chennai. My parents have also lived all their lives in the south. So, that makes me far more south Indian than many other actresses who’re in the south,” she asserts.

And Roma is bullish that working in south Indian languages will never be her shortcut to a career in Bollywood. “I do want to do Bollywood at some point. But, I’d never want to use the south as my platform to get there. Nor will I ever give up doing movies here. I’m very happy doing movies here,” says the actress, who’s now shooting for the Tamil flick Vanjikottai Vaaliban with Sakthi.

But this happiness doesn’t extend to the Kannada film industry for Roma, who’s signed up to do the Telugu version of her smash hit Malayalam film, Chocolate — Chaalaaki — and has two other Malayalam films in her kitty.

And this despite having made her debut in Sandalwood opposite golden star Ganesh in Aramane. “Aramane was all about Ganesh. I just didn’t have anything to do in the film, which is so unlike my other films. If you look at films like Notebook, July 4 and Chocolate, the premise centred around my character. I did get a few offers after Aramane, but there was nothing much to them, which is why I’m not interested in doing a Kannada film,” she states.

But the actress is quick to add that she isn’t judgemental about the industry based on her experience — after all, “other non-Kannadiga heroines like Navya Nair and Meera Jasmine manage to find good work here. I’m sure good movies that give the heroine great scope to act are being made here. It’s just that I haven’t been offered any,” she winds up.