'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.”

Neha Dhupia romances Hollywood Hero!

Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia sparked off a frenzy among the US media at the premiere of Independent Film Channel's 3 part comedy TV series- Bollywood Hero, in New York.
Dressed in black and brown gown, Dhupia made lensmen’s flashbulbs go pop constantly, even as she happily posed for them. The premiere of Bollywood Hero was held on 4th August at Rubin Museum of Arts, and accompanying the former Miss India were the film's lead man Chris Kattan and co-star Pooja Kumar.Living up-to its tag line that says Chris Kattan goes to Bollywood to become a Bollywood star, this comedy venture utterly succeeded in drawing laughs from the invitees. Neha plays a Bollywood actress Alima
Lakhani, who meets Chris and has a roller-coaster experience with him in the series.A source close to Neha said, “Neha was warmly welcomed. She was pleasantly surprised that the premiere of Bollywood Hero, a television series, was as grand as the release of a big Hollywood film. Neha got a warm welcome at the Red Carpet, which overwhelmed her completely.”

Neha in US flick

Neha Dhupia is ready to leave for the US on August 1 for the premiere of the movie Bollywood Hero in which she plays the role of an Indian actress called Lalima. “It’s a nice and funny movie. And mine’s a very funny role. I play a typical Bollywood actress and it’s a spoof on Indian cinema the way it is known. Chris Kattan plays the lead in the movie,” says Neha, who is very excited about this project.

“My friends called me a couple of days ago and said that they’ve seen billboards of my pictures all over New York. I didn’t have to go out of my way for this movie and it was a very interesting script,” she adds.

Apart from movies, Neha hasn’t had time to do anything for herself lately. “There’s just so much work that trust me, I’m trying to catch up on sleep on board flights as well.” However, she’s happy that she’s in a relationship with someone who understands all this . “We have known each other for as long as I can remember and have been in a relationship for a while now. We have a very mature relationship and thankfully I have someone in my life who understands my space, my time and my profession. If not an actress I would have loved to be a sportsperson. However, I don’t really think Ritwik would like to exchange his profession with me!” she smiles.
So marriage anytime soon? “Look, I don’t understand the concept of marriage. We both are together and I think that should be it!”