Bollywood calling

Over the last decade, over 30 foreign actresses have tried their luck in Bollywood as heroines, item numbers and cameos. With their number on the rise, Screen puts together a dummy’s guide to making the cut in Hindi cinema

There has been a steady influx of foreign actresses in Bollywood in recent years. In the last decade, 30 foreign actresses have made their debut in Bollywood. Though only British Indian actress Katrina Kaif has made a mark, that hasn’t deterred aspiring foreign actresses and models from trying their luck in the big, bad world of Hindi movies.

In the last two years, 11 actresses from various parts of the world made their debut in Bollywood. While only Jacqueline Fernandez from Sri Lanka and Barbara Mori from Mexico made their debuts as leading actresses in the high-budget Aladin and Kites, others like Giselli Monteiro, Florence Brudenell-Bruce, (Love Aaj Kal), Lisa Lazarus (Veer) and Sarah Thompson (Raajneeti) were seen in supporting roles.

Surprisingly, none of these starlets had any plans of acting in Hindi films. They had successful careers back home. For instance, Barbara had acted in several Mexican tele-serials like Mirada De Mujer, Amor Descarado, Rubi and films like La Mujer De Mi Her Mano and Violanchelo. Filmmakers Rakesh Roshan and Anurag Basu were keen on roping in a Mexican actress who could play the lead role in Kites. The duo met Barbara and after hearing the film’s story, she agreed to be a part of the project.
Similarly, American actress Sarah Thompson, who has acted in television shows - Angel and House and movies like Cruel Intentions 2 and Taking Chance - got a call from her manager, asking her if she was interested in meeting Prakash Jha. He had flown to the US to look for an American actress for Raajneeti. Since Sarah was always fascinated with India, she agreed to meet him. She heard the film’s plot and landed the role in the project.

However, now most foreign actresses are aiming for a long innings in Bollywood. Some of these starlets have bagged at least one movie, after their much-hyped debut. Giselli will be playing the lead in Red Chillies' latest film that will be released later this year. She is also endorsing Wills Lifestyle, PC Jewellers and Movil Mobiles. Brazilian hottie Bruna Abdullah, who made her debut with the “item” number Reham kare in Anubhav Sinha’s Cash, will be sharing screen space with Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor in Punit Malhotra’s I Hate Luv Storys.

Latina model Mariah Gomes, who created a stir with her raunchy number Teri neeyat kharab hain in Leena Yadav’s Teen Patti, is reportedly acting opposite Pratik in Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum. Jacqueline's two films - Aladin and Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hain - might have sunk at the box-office without a trace, but she will be playing the lead role in Milap Zaveri’s next film. The foreign invasion has been astounding and the numbers continue to grow. So we spoke to the ladies themselves as well as a few directors to put together some handy tips to aspiring foreign actresses who want to make it big in Bollywood.

Look Indian:
The first step is that if you want to land plum roles in Hindi movies, you need to look Indian to fit into the film industry. So either you are born with it like Giselli and Mariah, who landed their initial projects thanks to their exotic Indian-like looks, or you need to change your appearance.

Pria Agni, a stylist, who has worked with a lot of foreigners says, “Indians are fascinated with white skin but they are biased against people with blonde hair. They usually perceive blondes as being promiscuous. In the earlier days also, vamps like Helen wore blonde wigs whenever they performed any raunchy “item” number. So almost all foreigners dye their hair black and wear contact lenses to be accepted in the film industry in conventional roles. That way, Brazilians have an advantage because of their complexion, dark hair and Indian looks. As long as they are not made to speak, anyone can easily believe that they are from the sub-continent. For instance, everyone mistook Giselli for an Indian in Love Aaj Kal.”

Learn Hindi:

You might land your first film, thanks to your looks but for a long innings, you need to learn Hindi. You can seek some inspiration from Katrina, who took Urdu classes to speak chaste Hindi as a politician in Raajneeti. The actress has come a long way from her earlier films where her voice would be dubbed. Jacqueline's voice was dubbed in Aladin, but she dubbed her own lines in Jaane Kahaan Se Aayi Hai. Now, she is learning Hindi for her next film.

Similarly, Sarah might not have signed any more films after Raajneeti, but she is keen on making it big in Bollywood. So she is not only learning Hindi since the last six months but is also educating herself about Hindi films. Born in India to French parents, Kalki Koechlin, who was seen as Chanda in Dev. D, knows Tamil fluently but is not well-versed in Hindi. Now, she is learning the national language but admits that she still has a long way to go. “Meri Hindi kaafi sudhar gayi hain, par abhi bhi bahut seekhna baaqi hain,” she says.

Find a mentor:

The right mentor will not only groom you but also help with contacts in Bollywood and land you good offers. Though Katrina was introduced in Boom by Kaizad Gustad, she received a lot of support from Salman Khan, landing roles in films like Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya and Partner, produced under his brother Sohail Khan's banner. He is also reported to have advised her on her choice of films and roles. Kaif has, in interviews, often expressed gratitude for his support and also mentioned director Vipul Shah's faith in her for Namastey London and Singh Is Kingg as crucial to her performances and career.

Director Anurag Kashyap has mentored Kalki even after Dev. D, her debut film. Till date he helps her increase her knowledge about Bollywood. She says, “Anurag doesn't influence my work. But there are many people in the industry whom I don't know, and I ask him about them.”

Have no hang-ups:

You will have an advantage over your Indian contemporaries if you are open to doing diverse roles. According to scriptwriter-turned-filmmaker, Milap Zaveri, foreign actresses are keen to try out something different. “Since they come from abroad, they are open to various suggestions and are keen on doing diverse roles. These actors are not familiar with Hindi, so they work harder on their performances. They have a killer instinct to excel and make a mark,” he explains.
Pria says that foreign starlets have no inhibitions about shedding their clothes and are quite comfortable in their skin. “While Indians are usually apprehensive about being seen in a bikini, foreigners are confident. Barbara revealed a lot in Kites but didn't look cheap. On the contrary, she looked confident and chic.”

Do some modelling assignments:

What do Katrina, Bruna and Mariah have in common? All of them were models before getting a break in Bollywood. Modelling will not only give you a chance to get accustomed with camera angles, but also help you understand how the industry works and help make some quick money. It will also help you get noticed by filmmakers. It's a known fact that Kaizad roped in Katrina for Boom after seeing her modelling work. Yana Gupta was the face of popular brands like Lakme and Kingfisher Airlines following which she was offered “item” numbers in Dum and Rakht.

Be hardworking and disciplined:

It sounds cliched, but hard work is the key to success. You have to be dedicated and disciplined. Katrina is known for her diligence to get every scene right. Jha says, “She is extremely hardworking and sincere. She always does her homework.” It might be recalled that while shooting for Raajneeti, the actress was told to repeat co-star’s Nana Patekar’s dialogues for which she was unprepared. She requested Jha to give her a day’s notice and forfeit her payment before the issue was amicably resolved.

As far as Bollywood is concerned, the girls will do well to remember that it is not getting in the race that matters, but staying in the run that will ultimately benefit their careers.