Golfer`s daughter steps into films with `Mastram`

Mumbai:Tara Alisha Berry, who lost her golfer-father Gautam Berry just two months ago, is stepping into Hindi films with a very unusual debut vehicle - a movie focusing on the country`s well-known porn writer Mastram.

Tara, who was lately in the news for an unsavoury property dispute with her stepbrother Sikandar (Gautam Berry`s son from his first wife Kirron Kher), will be seen as Hindi pornographic literature`s resident-guru Mastram`s wife in Akhilesh Jaiswal`s film. Titled `Mastram`, the fictional biography is directorial debut of Jaiswal, co-writer of `Gangs of Wasseypur`. Asked about her unusual choice for a debut, Tara said: "It was the script that clinched the deal for me. I had no clue who Mastram was. But I simply fell in love with the script. The director Akhilesh Jaiswal and I connected instantly." Tara was not put off by the porn theme. "The film is about a porn writer, but there is nothing lurid or sleazy about the content. I found that to be deliciously ironical. It`s a film about India`s most well-known porn writer. But it`s porn-free." The debutant says the experience has made her confident about the film industry. "It was a very fulfilling experience," she said. Being from a celebrity family, Tara doesn`t mind struggling her way into stardom. "I think my journey so far has been similar to anyone who joins the entertainment business. I think it`s equally hard work for film kids and for those who come from outside the film industry," she said. Alisha hasn`t sought anyone help in establishing a foothold in the industry. "Help, no. But I got guidance from people like Sameer Sharma (the director of `Luv Shuv Te Chicken Khurana`), Anurag Kashyap and Shanoo Sharma." Tara recalls many golfing moments as a child with her dad. "I remember I spent a lot of time as a kid at the US Club putting while dad played. But I never thought of golf as a profession." IANS