The New Lady In Town!

Shreyas Talpade is one lucky man.
Well, it's not everyday that you get to romance and lock lips (yes, they did for the longest time!) with a Thai beauty, and Shreyas does plenty of that in Nagesh Kukunoor's light-hearted flick, Bombay to Bangkok.
Did you always want to be an actress?
I always wanted to do something related to dance and music, so I guess when an opportunity presented before me to become an actress, I took it.

How did you get a role in Bombay To Bangkok?

The casting for Bombay to Bangkok happened in Thailand. Nagesh came to Thailand looking for Jasmine (the lead character) and I auditioned for the part. I consider myself very lucky as he chose me out of around 200 people.

I was bit reluctant in the beginning as the character required a traditional Thai accent and my accent is bit Americanised. But I think because of that, it was easier for both Nagesh and me to communicate, as I understood him very well.

What made you take it up?

My character in the film is outgoing, strong and stands for what she believes in. That fascinated me. For instance, even though she works as masseuse, she volunteers for a medical camp.

She is quite different than me. I am a very shy person in real life. There are so many things which Jasmine can do and I cannot

So who is this mysterious new beauty in tinsel town? Meet Lena Christiansen, who hails from Thailand. She tells us more about herself.

What were you doing before you took up this film?

I've been working for 15 years in Thailand. I have hosted television shows and currently, I host this health show, where I teach aerobics. I have been teaching aerobics and dancing for over 10 years now.

I do a little bit of everything. I also have recorded some songs and have a music album titled Lena Body Beat.

How was the Bollywood experience?
It was very interesting. Definitely different from what I have been doing in Thai movies. It was great fun. Thai movies are very serious and sometimes it becomes very stressful. But here, the environment was quite cool and I enjoyed myself.

Have you had any acting training before?

Yes, in Thailand.

Were you comfortable acting opposite Shreyas Talpade? Did the two of you become friends?

Shreyas is very professional and a great actor. He was always in character and even practiced during the breaks. That was really very good because it helped me to be a better actress. He taught me a lot of things and was very patient. I felt really comfortable working with him. He made me feel very confident.
What kind of director is Nagesh Kukunoor?
I watched a lot of Nagesh's movies when I came to India. They were all so serious that I had this impression of him being a very serious man. But after shooting and working with him, I can say that he is a fun person and very easy to work with.

Though known for being a perfectionist, with us, however, everything went smoothly. He allowed me to be myself. It was very easy as he always explained what he expected from me.

How was the work atmosphere?

It was wonderful. Though people were always focused about their work, it wasn't stressful.
What was the toughest part of the shoot?
I think shooting in hot conditions in Thailand was the toughest part. We shot for 27 days in Thailand. We were really tired while filming a dance number. I ended up with a bodyache.

What was your toughest scene?

Well, filming the intimate scenes (with Shreyas) were tough. I was very uncomfortable, as I am a very shy person. But those scenes were an important part of the movie and you know that you are just acting.

But there was one time -- it's really funny now when I think about it -- when Shreyas and I were shooting an intimate scene and Nagesh didn't say cut. So we kept going on and on. It was the longest kiss of my life!

Do you have any other project in hand?

Currently, I am focusing on Bombay to Bangkok.