Mahesh Bhatt refused to cast me

Mahesh Bhatt is her uncle and director Mohit Suri her brother, but actress Smilie Suri will tell you she's still had her share of "waiting and struggle". And now four years after her debut in the hit "Kalyug", she once again waits for the curtain to rise.

"After the success of 'Kalyug', I wanted something better or at least as good as it. But I didn't get anything good enough. So it was not a conscious decision to wait..., " Smilie told over phone from Mumbai.

"I would rather do fewer and good roles than just anything at all. People remember you for the roles you do. So I didn't want to go wrong with that. I kept getting the same kind of roles...something I wasn't interested in, " she said.

The actress is now ready with her second film "Yeh Mera India", directed by N. Chandra and also starring Anupam Kher, Purab Kohli, Parveen Dabbas and Rajit Kapoor among others.

Smilie said the film, which is slated to hit screens Aug 28, is a story that every woman will relate to since it deals with male chauvinism.

"The film revolves around a period of 24 hours in Mumbai and how certain incidents in the day change my character's life. This is a story with which every girl and woman will relate, because one of the problems that my character faces in the film is male chauvinism, " she said.

"Every girl at some point of time in her life either witnesses that (chauvinism) or has seen someone witness that. The story is basically how this girl stands up and doesn't become a victim to it, " she said.

Asked what convinced her to take up the role, the young actress said: "My role in a film is very important to me. While in 'Kalyug' I played a simple, small-town girl who couldn't stand up against injustice and ends up ending her own life, in this film I play a girl who is strong and gets herself out of tough situations, while not becoming a victim.

"The two roles are quite different and so I decided to take it up. Although doing issue-based films was never a conscious decision, it just happened that both my films deal with issues, " she said.

Smilie, who knows various dance forms like ballroom dancing, Kathak and jazz, always wanted to be in front of the camera, even though her brother is into direction and she worked as an assistant director in a few films.

So was it easy for her to enter the film industry as an actress?

"Even though I had people in the industry, it was a struggle for me to get my first acting assignment. I assisted on 'Zehar' and 'Murder'. One day went up to Mahesh Bhatt-saab at the shooting of 'Zehar' and told him I wanted to act. But he told me that he will not cast me till I don't suit a particular role and I don't learn the nuances of the industry, " she said.

"He and my brother told me that I need to work hard and learn. So I had my share of waiting and struggle. But today I'm happy they did not give it to me on a platter. I have learnt a lot in the process. They did not spoon feed me, which was a good thing, " she added.

Smilie is also looking forward to her third release "Down Town" after "Yeh Mera India".