Sonali Kulkarni`s chance to dance in ‘Shadow’

New Delhi: ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ star Sonali Kulkarni is finally moving away from her staid image with her first item number in ‘Shadow-The Dark Side of Truth’, which sees her donning the role of a cop.The item number also features Hrishita Bhatt and has been choreographed by renowned Bollywood choreographer Ganesh Acharya.

"I was a little unsure about Ganeshji`s temper, whether I would be able to perform according to his expectations. But it was a fantastic experience and I am very happy with my song," Sonali told reporters. A trained dancer, Sonali insists that she always wanted to dance but was never offered such roles. "I am trained in Bharatnatyam for nine years and I always wanted to dance in movies but unfortunately I never got the chance. I even wanted to feature in the dance number in `Taxi No 9211`, but they told me that being a taxi-driver`s wife in the film you can`t dance," Sonali, who played Nana Patekar`s wife in the movie, said. It is Sonali`s first attempt at an item number and the actress is thoroughly excited about it. ‘Shadow’ has the actress playing the role of a policewoman who is striving for a successful career and is given the responsibility to undertake an operation. "Its a landmark role in my career. I get to dance in the film, do action sequences. The character also has a lot of emotion and glamour," said Sonali. ‘Shadow’ is directed by Rohit Nayyar and also has Milind Soman playing a major character. The film is slated to release on August 7. The actress, who has worked in films like ‘Mission Kashmir’, ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, ‘Bride and Prejudice’, Italian film ‘Fuoco Su Di Me’ (My Heart Is On Fire) and ‘Taxi Number 9211’ in a career spanning over a decade, is also excited about her role of a journalist in upcoming movie ‘Mohandas’. Sonali plays a television reporter who takes up the cause of a rural man`s stolen identity in the movie. "While playing this character I understood what goes on in a journalists mind when he or she is pursuing a story and trying to get uncooperative people to talk. Usually we are on the other side, answering questions, but this time I had to switch sides," the actress said. The film is directed by Mazhar Kamran and stars Sushant Singh, Nakul Vaid, Sarbani Mukherjee and Govind Namdev. "To prepare for this character, I tried to recall those journalists who have made an impression on me somehow," said the actress. Sonali, who is mostly seen playing serious characters also insists that she is not in the industry with an agenda to change the society socially-conscious films. "I don`t choose my roles, they choose me. I am here to entertain, not as a social worker," she said. Bureau Report