No item numbers for Kaajal Vashisht

Chennai: Kaajal Vashisht, who is making her debut in southern cinema with the upcoming Telugu romantic-drama ‘Iddarammayilatho’, is certain that she won`t do item numbers as her focus is on performance-based roles.

"Other actors can choose what they want to, but no item numbers for me. I have acted in theatre and did plays. I did films. I believe my potential as an actor would attract work for me in South. I want to do more films in South provided I get performance-based roles," Kaajal said. She is cast opposite Allu Arjun in Puri Jagannadh directed ‘Iddarammayilatho’, which also features Amala Paul and Catherine Tresa in the lead roles. Didn`t you feel your part may be sidelined since you were cast alongside two more heroines? "I look at a film as an output of various artists on the screen and technicians off the screen. I believe Puri sir knows what he wants on the screen because at the end of the day, it`s for your audience. I am a professional artist and, therefore, never felt insecure," she said. Brahmanandam, Nassar, Subburaj, Srinivasa Reddy and Devshi Khanduri will also be seen in prominent roles in the film. Kaajal believes that under Puri`s guidance, she would shine in the industry. "He helped me to take my first baby step in the Telugu film industry. He is a self-made man and, therefore, he understands the struggle we all go through at an early stage of our career. He has been of great support throughout," she added. Having worked in Hindi films such as ‘Rowdy Rathore’ and ‘3G’, Kaajal finds a huge difference between Bollywood and southern industry. "I would say they are two different worlds, but since I am from Chennai, I understand the culture and the style of working in the Telugu film industry. Knowing the language helped me to bond with crew members in both the industries," she said. She describes Allu Arjun as a "talented and charming" actor and says that he has been "supportive" while shooting and "I could not ask for more". "I hope to do a Hindi film with him someday," she added. Kaajal is currently awaiting the release of her Marathi movie "Gulabi". She also has two Hindi projects in the pipeline. IANS