Neetu Chandra's power punch

Here's one woman you can't mess around with. This Taekwondo champion can give you a chop when you are least expecting it. And she's so good that she's been awarded a medal by the man himself, Jackie Chan. The actor who's always been into martial arts and basketball, talks to CS about her love for sports:

Being a sport
I come from a very educated family. My grandfather is a renowned heart surgeon. We are nine cousins, brothers and sisters, out of which five studied in IIT. I used to hate the feeling of my cousins shining at a family gathering and me standing in a corner with no achievements. So, since I wasn't too good at academics, I thought I would concentrate on sports. Even my mom would throw me out of the house at 4am with my running shoes so I could at least do something constructive.


Who: Neetu Chandra
What: Revealing her sporty side
Where: At her Lokhandwala residence

I have tried my hand at everythingu00a0-- from athletics to lawn tennis. Sports is my first love and my sports teacher was my first crush. Playing was the best medicine if I was ever sick. I started playing basketball when I was in the second grade. When I was older, I wanted to pursue sports as a career. But after I saw P T Usha's diminishing career graph, I decided against it. Imagine, she was the first lady to gain such an international acclaim for our country but is now an accountant in the railways. What a shame! I wouldn't want anyone to treat me and my talent like that. So I decided to concentrate on dramatics.

Slap-stick
I can safely say that I am mentally and physically stronger than most women and even men. When I was learning Taekwondo, I would practise with boys most of the times. Even then my kicks were faster, more accurate and skillful then theirs. Though I never used my skills for defence, my body would violently react to external threat. Once I was walking in Delhi when someone touched my shoulder. I instantly turned and slapped the person. And trust me it wasn't intentional at all.u00a0u00a0u00a0

Changing colours
Along with sports, I am also a trained Kathak dancer. As a kid, if I wasn't on the field or in the mud, I was on the stage. Sports helped me in my acting career as well. The curves I have are all thanks to all the sports I play. The tomboy tag came along, but thanks to my feminine side, I am considered to be a sexy tomboy. The best part is that I can change with my attire. If I am in my ganji's and shorts, I am a bullying tomboy. When I am in a sari, I am at my traditional best.