Why am I being targeted: Asin

By Robin Bansal

New Delhi, Oct 18 (IANS) Just one film old in Bollywood, Asin Thottumkal has had more than her share of controversies. The miffed actress, who is a superstar down south, wonders why "people are targeting" her.

"Please tell me why people are targeting me? I don't know why everybody is trying to give me a hard time. I am a newcomer, what have I done (in Bollywood)?" asked an exasperated Asin. "I am clueless why people are just interested in creating stories which are not true about me. I haven't figured that out," she added.

"Apparently a lot of rubbish has been written about me and most of my interviews are wasted clarifying those," Asin told IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.

The 23-year-old made her Bollywood debut opposite Aamir Khan in the hit psychological action thriller "Ghajini" last year and became an overnight sensation.

She has, however, been caught up in a string of rumours -- a recent one being that the actress refused a role in Farah Khan's next directorial venture, "Happy New Year", opposite Shah Rukh Khan.

"It was just a fabricated story. The publication retracted it in the very next issue and came out with an apology the very next day. Farah and I are friends. I am really very fond of her as she is of me. That's about it. We haven't talked about working together in a movie at all," Asin said, slamming the gossip.

"It was just a figment of somebody's imagination. Farah has just started working on the script. Obviously, she hasn't reached casting stage," she added.

There have been a controversy about Asin and her "London Dreams" co-star Salman Khan. The first rumour that appeared was that she was at loggerheads with Salman's girlfriend Katrina Kaif.

It was reported that Katrina got upset when she heard that her beau was helping Asin find a house in Mumbai.

"I don't even know Katrina, for god's sake! I have worked with Salman in one film and my relationship with him has been friendly, professional. Nothing more or less than that," she asserted.

"I don't know why people link actors who work together?"

Then came news that her father allegedly had a disliking for Salman. "What rubbish? They get along like a house on fire and are very buddy buddy with each other. They gang up against me and pull my leg. In fact, I am the odd one out when they are together. They are such good friends that despite his busy schedule, Salman painted a portrait of my dad, signed it and gifted it to him. That's the rapport they share. I really don't know where these stories are coming from," she said.

And what about her seasoned co-stars reportedly insisting that she ask her father not to accompany her on the sets of her movies?

"It's not that my father's forever hanging around on the sets. For one of the foreign schedules, he did accompany me, but that was about it. I don't know why people tend to make out this whole big hullabaloo about bringing my dad. It's completely fabricated nonsense," she said.

"Poor thing, he is sitting at home, minding his own business. I don't know why he has to be dragged into controversies. It is quite annoying when somebody writes about your parents. Please leave my father out of all this.

"I am the only person in the limelight. If anybody wants to write anything true or false, write about me. But don't drag my parents into it. It's really not appreciated," she said.

Releasing Oct 30, "London Dreams" has been produced and directed by Vipul Shah and also stars Ajay Devgn.

Asin's next project is Ashutosh Gowariker's "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey" with Abhishek Bachchan.

(Robin Bansal can be contacted at robin.b@ians.in)

• Interviews