Turkish glamour comes to Bollywood

Barbara Mori may not have saved Kites in India or abroad and yet, Bollywood is in no hurry to say goodbye to foreign actresses.

Turkish actress Meltem Cumbul will make her debut in Hindi film, Tell Me O Khuda, starring Esha Deol, Dharmendra and Rishi Kapoor. The film has been directed by Hema Malini.

Meltem, a known face on television in her country, has her own show called The Meltem Cumbul Show. She has done a few supporting roles in films like Bay E and Bocek too.

The 40-year-old actress is now very excited about her foray in Bollywood. "My parents would watch a lot of Indian movies in Turkey. So I grew up watching them. My mother's favourite actor was Raj Kapoor. I accepted Tell Me O Khuda because of Rishi Kapoor (who is Raj Kapoor's son), and also for my family, who love Indian movies," she explained.

Meltem confesses that she hasn't actually seen any films starring Rishi Kapoor but is trying to catch up on her visit here.

"I try to watch Indian movies, but I see most actors on television," she says. "I know Shah Rukh from TV. I know Preity Zinta because we have mutual friends. I know Hrithik too."

This is not her first brush with the industry. Meltem was part of the jury at the Goa film festival three years ago.

"In Tell Me O Khuda, my character loses her baby and gets mentally sick. She thinks the baby still exists. She's a very sad character," Meltem, who bagged the film through her agent, says.

The actress claims that she can identify with the character because she does not have a child even though she always wanted one. "I have used that feeling to build my character," she says.

"I wanted to sing and dance in this film but I did not get that chance. I hope to get it in my next film," she smiles.

Does she know any Hindi song? In answer, Meltem bursts out singing Awara hoon from Raj Kapoor's popular film Awara.

While it was Rishi Kapoor's presence in Tell Me O Khuda that made her say yes to the film, Meltem is now itching to work with Shah Rukh Khan. "I think he is a wonderful actor. He has so much power on screen," she says.

Will we see more of her in Hindi films? Meltem sure wishes so. "There are so many things that I like about India but I like the acceptance that I see in people most," she smiles.