The siren from Sydney

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It seems a predictable enough trajectory — from beauty pageant to catwalk to the South Indian film industry and Bollywood. Yet Vimala Raman’s transition was not all predestined. The former Miss India-Australia is an accomplished Bharata-natyam danseuse who has delivered a series of blockbusters in the South. The doe-eyed beauty made her Bollywood debut with the critically acclaimed Mumbai Mirror earlier this year, and looks ahead to her next, Afra Tafri.

Winning the title:
Being a trained dancer, I participated in a lot of contests and even performed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. But when I won the Miss India-Australia title, I realised it was such a privilege, especially being able to represent the NRI community. When I visited India to compete in Miss India Worldwide, I got a taste of the movie industry here.

In India with a bang:
Growing up in Australia, my parents ensured I was culturally connected to my roots. Movies like Kamal Haasan's Salangai Oli influenced me a lot, so in ’06, I took the plunge to move to India, and had a dream debut, working with director K. Balachander in Poi. Acting opposite stalwarts like Mammootty and Mohanlal in Malayalam, and alongside Kannada legend Vishnuvardhan in Aaptharakshaka (where I played a dancer), rank among my special moments.

Culture shock:
In Sydney, I grew up on the beach, swimming was part of life, but here, I couldn’t wear a swimsuit anyplace! I wore more saris and kurtas in Australia to stay in touch with my Indian side, but here everyone expects me to wear the latest designer dresses — quite ironic, isn’t it?

The making of a star:
I’ve played everything from a psychotic ghost to a police officer down South, and it was great fun.! Dam 999, my first English film, fetched rave reviews for my role, especially at the Cannes and LA festivals. I have always made immense efforts to learn the different languages depending on the language of the film. I do face an identity crisis at times here having worked in so many regional languages, but no one believes I’m a Tamilian!

Some favourite things:
I’m an absolute homebird when I’m in Chennai, though I do like to occasionally socialise and party with some close friends. Dancing is a stress-buster for me, and I also love travelling, making it a point to visit to at least one new country each year. My inspiration and source of support though are my parents and brother, and I do try to visit home in Australia as much as possible!