Poorna Jagannathan: It was frustrating to wait

That's how 'Delhi Belly' actress Poorna Jagannathan sums up the year she spent after the film was shot

For a new actress making her debut in Aamir Khan's production didn't exactly mean a dream run.
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Los Angeles-based Poorna Jagannathan, who plays Imran Khan's leading lady in Delhi Belly concedes that the waiting period of over a year after finishing the shoot was quite restless and frustrating.



Having started in advertising as a consumer and brand strategist, she attributes the career switch to dislike for her job.
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"There came a point when I stopped loving my job and I didn't want my boss's job either," she recalls, giving up a comfortable job to train acting at the Actor's Studio.

Asked if she was aware of the reported differences between the actor-producer and Abhinay Deo, the film's director, and Poorna denies knowing "the inside politics".
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She says, "I was sad about the possibility that the film might not come out."

She further enthuses, "The script is brilliant and the film represents the kind of person I am. But as an actor, I kept trudging away, working hard. That's what kept me going."

At the same time, the actress is also quick to add that she believed that the film would see the light of day. "I love my character of Maneka. And I knew that the movie would be something I'd be proud of," she says.

Production line
So what factor comforted her that her Bollywood debut would make it to the cinemas? In reply, Poorna likens Aamir Khan Productions to a runway.

"There's a plane ready to take off every time. Peepli [Live], Dhobi Ghat and now Delhi Belly, which is a writer's and editor's film.
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When you see it, you'll realise that the editor plays a large role in the film. That determines where it came in the line up," she explains. Add to that, she also became friends with the writer, Akshat Verma, who is also based in LA.

Point out to her that surfacing for the promotions just a day before the film's release is a risky move for her and she reasons, "I'd have been worried if I had not seen the film. But I have and I'm proud of the work I've done."

The strangest aspect of Poorna's foray into cinema is that her family didn't have a television set at home. So how did her diplomat father react to his daughter's entry in the Bollywood? "It's an Aamir Khan production.
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That overshadows all other apprehensions," she asserts, adding that her parents will be catching the first show in Toronto.