Tena makes her mark

The actress, who's done a few blink-and-miss roles, recently got to act alongside talented actors like Paresh Rawal and Rajeev Khandelwal. She speaks to CS about her journey from modelling to acting:

Planned entry
I decided to act in my 8th or 9th standard. I trained myself in modelling and acting with the help of the mirror in my room. Iused magazines and films for reference. I thought it would be a good idea to enter the industry after modelling as it would be great training to work on ads, it would help me groom myself and also be great material to show directors when I felt ready to join films. Luckily, everything worked according toplan.

Models can act
There are so many models who have successfully made the transition to acting now, so I don't think the cliche that models can't act holds good any more. Having said that, it doesn't mean all models can act. Just like everything else, you cannot generalise.

Clarity call
Each film or each director will have a different approach to things so you cannot compare or apply your experience of one film with another. What I can say is that I've learnt to ask the director many questions about the script, so that I have clarity on his vision of my character.

On my wishlist!
I'm just starting out so I have the entire industry to work with. But if I have to name some, then it would be Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor.
urmimala.banerjee@mid-day.com