If there’s one thing 24-year-old Alisha Abdullah would swear by in life, it is the headiness of speed. The country’s first and only bike racer is currently gearing up for the Toyota Vios Cup, which will take place in Thailand later this month. That’s not all — Abdullah is all set for the release of her debut film, Irumbu Kuthirai, as well. In the thriller, Abdullah will be seen a “psycho avatar” as she puts it in various interviews.

Alisha Abdullah, the country’s first female racer, says playing a psycho in her debut film is a challenge she did not see coming

Testing times
The tournament isn’t any less important for Abdullah. “I have been training really hard for it. I will compete against girls from South East Asian countries, who are far more stronger, at least physically,” she smiles.

She needn’t worry, really. Racing is in Abdullah’s genes. Her father, RA Abdullah, won bike-racing competitions at the national level. “Speed is in my blood. I developed my passion for racing by seeing my dad in action. I have been go-karting since the age of eight and won my first championship at 11,” she says.

However, Abdullah does not speak about acting in the same vein. Working in a film was no cakewalk, she admits. She says she eased through the action scenes, but found dialogue delivery quite daunting. “I took some acting classes as well,” she says.

Though Abdullah has participated in both bike and car races, her focus is now on car racing. “When you race on a bike, it’s very risky and there are higher chances of injury. Car racing is better that way. However, nothing beats the adrenaline rush of bike racing,” she says, her passion palpable.

Back to school
In a bid to promote women bikers across the country, she now plans to start a racing school for ladies. “I want to travel across India and organise racing competitions. The best amongst them will have a national level face off at the Buddh International Circuit,” she adds. She says that there is a general perception that only boys love their bikes. However, that’s not the case — many girls, emphasises Abdullah, are passionate about machines and racing.