Anita sizzles in her knee-length black Sheath Dress. Quite a contrast to her demure looks in recently released Maro Charitra, remake of Balachander’s classic by the same name. She has been getting all the criticism for her looks in the film, but when you see in person, you would be stunned to know that she has in it her and blame for bad choice of character. Looking for roles that befit her real life personal, Here are excerpts from the chitchat..

How did you land in films?

I am born and brought up in USA. My mother is Telugaite bu my father is an American. Although we live in Kansas City, every year we come to India for holidays. On one such trip, I came to know that Dil Raju’s production is looking for heroine in Maro Charitra, so I went for audition and thus I was selected for the role of Swapna.

Did you purse dream of becoming actor since childhood?

No, since the age of 6, I have been learning Bharata Natyam and performing on stage in USA. I am dancer and love exhibiting my skills on stage. Acting came by accident. I studied Bachelors in Journalism but since I entered into films now I discontinued it.

Your look and style in Maro Charitra received severe criticism. What is your comment on that?

Most of the people I met are talking positively about my acting but if you ask about the looks, it is director’s idea of showing me in that way. He has a particular vision and I did whatever he said. After all, actors are puppets in the hands of a director.

Even Dil Raju made a public statement that you are misfit for the role in the movie. Did you hurt by his statement?

I don’t have any problem with Dil Raju but if he thinks that way I cannot comment on it. One should understand that I come from USA and brought up in western outfits. Putting me in a rustic-like character in traditional outfits, it definitely looks odd. I believe that was the problem than my ‘natural looks’. If I were shown in the way I look naturally, I would not have got such criticism. But again, they (director and producer) envisioned me in me in that role and took me. So who should be faulted?

Did you see K Balachander’s Maro Charitra before the film?

Yes, I did. But I didn’t realize the magnitude of the movie when I signed it. KB’s Maro Charitra is a great film and captured romance beautifully. But times have changed and everything is different, so in the remake they tried to capture the changing times.

Since you are brought up in USA, did you face any cultural shocks during the shoot?

Not really, much of the movie was shot in USA and even the portions that were filmed in India are in RFC. So I hardly had to face any problem here. Moreover the production house and the team treated me so well.

What kind of roles you are looking for now?

Characters that suit me well. Roles that are light-hearted, trendy and glamorous. I would look good in regular today’s girls outfits. But I am not averse to diverse roles and am game for comic roles.

Will you indulge in skin-show?

Looking glamourous is okay but no overdose of skin show

What about smooch scenes?

Big no. I don’t want to do them.

But you are born in USA where such things are common?

Most people tend to believe that girls who are born in USA would do all these things quite naturally but it is not true. Trust me, such things are really uncomfortable for even a girl who is born and brought up in western countries.

What is your favourite film in Telugu?

K Vishwanath’s Saptapadi. My mom used to play songs from the film in my house continuously when I was kid. I really love i.

Favourite actress?

Sridevi. She is the ultimate combo of great looks and peformance. She has expressive eyes and carries her body language well. In the current generation, I like Genelia for her choice of roles.