Actor Ileana D’Cruz, who is making her Bollywood debut with the film, Barf!, says she did not want a glamorous opening in her first Hindi film. “In a Bollywood masala film, there would be little bit of acting to do, as you have to look pretty throughout and dance with a handsome man. I did not want to get into such a film,” says Ileana, who co-stars with actors Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

Known down south as a glamorous beauty, Ileana doesn’t want that label to continue in the Hindi film industry, and wants author-backed roles. “I have been doing south films for six years. And there were lot of offers from Bollywood earlier, which did not interest me much. The story line and my role in Barfi is something I liked a lot. It is different from what I have done so far,” she says.

Ileana had earlier turned down an offer to star opposite actor Salman Khan in Wanted, which was a remake of her own south film, Pokhiri. She chose to wait for a more challenging role. “When I was offered this role, I was flattered, as it required me to show my ability as an actor,” she says. Releasing on September 14, the Anurag Basu directed Barfi! is a romantic comedy about three characters — a deaf-mute boy, an autistic girl and a normal girl.