"This is the golden period for newcomers in Bollywood,” says actress Meera Chopra, who made her Bollywood debut in the recently released 'Gang of Ghosts'. Having appeared in southern films as well, Meera says she is happier to be in Bollywood as the Punjabi-at-heart girl wanted to return to her roots. “I never got the kind of job satisfaction I wanted in the southern film industry, and the language barrier was always there.” According to her, the reason it is such a good time to try and make a mark in Bollywood is because of the influx of new filmmakers who are experimenting with new styles of direction and story telling. “South is still very masala dominated,” says she. And of course, having Priyanka Chopra as your cousin is something that can’t hurt, a person Meera credits as one of her biggest supporters.

 

 

“I am a very lazy person who will never try to break out of her comfort zone on her own. Priyanka encouraged me to try new things and she has always advised me to do the right thing.” Meera has also stated numerous times by now that she will never appear in skimpy clothing or a bikini, citing family as the reason. “It’s not just that I don’t want my parents to see me like that, it’s also because someday I want a family of my own,” says she and adds, “I truly believe that it is not something that an actress needs to be remembered.” Meera’s entry into films has been quite by accident — with a degree in journalism from the US, she came to work with NDTV in India but wasn’t happy with the low salary. “I felt ashamed at the fact that I still had to ask my parents for money to make ends meet so I decided to take up modeling assignments for extra income and then got a call to audition for Bangaram, a Telegu film. Apparently, I had been spotted in a print ad and so here I am now,” she smiles. She also wants to eventually have her own fashion store and was even hunting for store space in New York at one point. “Beauty attracts me, beautiful people and beautiful clothes have always been a source of joy for me,” says the actress.