Note to self: Don’t just look pretty

She is young, beautiful and has already taken a step into the world of international films. To be seen in Jackie Chan’s Kung Fu Yoga soon, Amyra Dastur, all of 23, talks about her cautious moves in Bollywood since her debut in Mr X, being choosy about films to early on  and how she wants to be part of a Parsi film.

Are you being offered substantial roles in Bollywood?
Some scripts are good and some are not. If I am offered something that is too glamorous, I just say no to it. As long as I am constantly working and doing the work that I like, I am happy. I just make sure that I don’t just look pretty — that’s my rule for myself.

Do you regret going bold for Mr X?
It was just one song — it was not like really bold. Having said that, I wouldn’t go so bold again. I even refused to wear a bikini for that movie. I would probably wear a bikini on screen now, but that’s about it. I won’t do any intense love making scenes and all of that. That’s something I am still hesitant about.

You come from a non-filmy background. How do your parents react to you being an actress?
They were quite worried in the beginning, but after they saw my films and my passion, they realised that I have that drive in me. Now they are happy and very supportive. The whole anxiety has gone now.

Are you very choosy with your roles?
I am very choosy, and honestly, even my manager keeps pointing this out telling me that it’s one of my biggest problems. But at the end of the day, I want to be happy doing what I do. I am not going to do films just for the heck of it.

To work with Jackie Chan is a dream for every actor. Do you consider yourself lucky to be part of Kung Fu Yoga?
I was more than grateful when I got this opportunity. I just grabbed it. I grew up watching his films. So for me, this is literally a dream come true. I like the story as well. But the main reason was him — the fact that I will get to do a movie with him as the lead was itself convincing.

What’s the film about?
It’s a cultural mix — an Indian and Chinese film. It has slightly historical aspects in terms of India. It’s basically about a treasure hunt.

You come from a Parsi background, so is a Parsi film on the anvil?
I really want to. I want to do a nice comedy family Parsi film. Once I get a better graph in cinema, I probably I can do that. Right now, it’s a very small community and I feel that people still don’t understand Parsi humor completely.