One can well expect Trisha to deliver in her debut Bollywood outing Khatta Meetha. After all she is not quite a newbie in the industry and already has close to 35 films to her credit down South. In the industry for more than 7 years now, she has seen quite a lot and is pretty much established. Now that she has got a Bollywood launch with none other than Akshay Kumar as a co-star cum producer and Priyadarshan as a director, it couldn't have been better than that. Still, considering the fact that Priyadarshan-Akshay is a tried and tested `jodi', one wonders if she ever got scared about being sidelined.

"Yes, eventually this is Akshay's film but then I don't mind that. Many of my predecessors had some of the best kick starts but couldn't travel much distance. I hope to make a point in Khatta Meetha even though it may not be a conventional launch", admits Trisha who plays the role of a collector who locks horns with ex-boyfriend Akshay Kumar, a road contractor, in the film.

With the basic plotline cutting down the romance angle, doesn't she ever feel that she could have rather started off in Bollywood with a love story?

"This is my first film and I can't be too choosy; let's admit that", says Trisha with a smile. "For a start, I have to be seen with big star and a director who gives guaranteed box office return. I guess this is good enough to make your first move. I won't say that there is no love story at all in the film. It may not be there for the complete two and a half hours of the film but there is a thread of love story between me and Akshay that plays through the film."

One hears that as a producer of the film, Akshay went extra long to make sure that she was being taken care of well. What does Trisha have to say about that?

"That's right", she confirms. "It was quite funny that despite being a producer, there was no producer-like interference from him on the sets. I didn't see any such traits from Akshay. He was more like a co-star all the time and made sure that I give my best for the role."

Sampurn Wire