'Go Green,' says Neha Dhupia

For now, she’s on a mission. And, she clearly doesn’t want to come across as the usual celebrity ‘campaigning’ for a good cause, but not doing anything about it. “I’m a firm believer in the green revolution,” she states, “Back home, I’m seriously doing my bit for the cause of the environment.”

It takes a while to realise that Neha’s damn serious about the cause, and it really sinks in when she says that she walks almost every day. Why’s that? “Short distances should be done by foot,” she says, shaking her head to emphasise the point, “I stay on the fourth floor and always make it a point to walk down. Also, when I’m just visiting the neighbourhood store or a friend close by, I walk. By not using the car for such short distances, I think I’m doing my bit.” Similarly, she’s also on having filtered water instead of mineral water every time she goes out. “That’s because every time we have mineral water, we are using more of plastic which isn’t good for the environment,” she explains.

The lass is all for car-pooling and similar environment-friendly techniques. “When I was in school, we used to have a big bus that used to accommodate many children,” she says, “Why can’t corporates involve themselves in such initiatives and promote car-pooling in a bigger way? It pains me to see a single person travelling in a car.”

On the films front, Neha has her hands full with a couple of Bollywood projects. So, is a Kollywood venture on the cards? “Not now, but I’m on the lookout for an exciting one,” she says, “There’s so much talent here and there are many people that I’d love to work with. Take Mani Ratnam, for instance. His films are just brilliant. I’ve also heard a lot about Vikram and Suriya.” Neha is also a big fan of A R Rahman. “He’s just phenomenal and has taken Indian music to the global stage.”

Chennai is dear to Neha, who comes here once in two months for work and pleasure. “I’m more regular than most other people when it comes to visiting Chennai,” she says, “I have a lot of close friends here and some of the restaurants are great. I love chilling out here.”