'Kama Sutra actress returning to India

Indian origin actress Sarita Choudhury, best known for her roles in Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love and Mississippi Masala, will be seen on Indian screens again, this time in an emotional drama titled For Real.

"My role in For Real is that of a mother of two kids who gave up a singing career in London and moved to India to be a housewife," Sarita, 43, told IANS in an e-mail interview from New York.

"She grapples with how to live a life without passion and be a good mother and wife to a husband who is working round-the-clock. The role is full of emotions buried deep and what was hard was not to shy away from playing someone who could seem cold and removed."

Directed, written and produced by an Indian, Sona Jain, For Real is the story of a six-year-old girl who witnesses a moment of discord within her family. The ensuing depression evident in her parents causes a reaction in the child's mind, making her withdraw into a fantasy world where she believes her real mother has been sent to the Orion Galaxy and "mother" at home is really an Alien.

The film is slated to release in India in August and Sarita is expected to be in the country for the promotion.

So why does she think For Real will appeal to people in India?

"I think For Real is needed in India because there are so many mothers, wives and husbands who will relate to this domestic situation where each character is trying to do their best, but their hearts have been hurt and living a 'normal' life is the hardest thing in the world," said Sarita, who is half-Indian and half-British.

"What goes on behind shut doors in middle class families can be just as alarming as what goes on in the streets for the less privileged and Sona (her character) portrays a section of society that is wildly ignored because we all feel we don't truly deserve sympathy when we don't have obvious economic or life- threatening problems. This film is also very moving and visually beautiful," she added.

When asked where she has been post Kama Sutra... released in 1996, the actress said: "I came back to New York and tried to enter the theatre community, which was my secret love. It took me six years to gain the confidence of the directors and theatres there.

"Till now I have done over eight plays, and finally feel like I have been accepted. Also I was lucky to continue to do a lot of work in films and television here."

Sarita, who has worked in films like Lady In The Water and The Parez Family, would love to be part of mainstream Bollywood.

"I would love to do a Bollywood film. I love Naseeruddin Shah and Irrfan Khan. They both seem to bridge that gap between Bollywood and independent cinema brilliantly. They are real even when playing over the top characters," she said.