Riya's Masala Site

Amrapalli Gupta has had a tough time finding a foot-hold in Mumbai. After being thrown out of umpteen paying guest accommodations, spending nights without food, Amrapalli is determined to make it bigger on television to make her parents proud of her. “I want them to hear good things about me. Their courage and support kept me going during my struggling days.” She even confesses to having been proposi tioned and admits that for young girls like her who have no godfathers or filmi family to their rescue, the casting couch does exist. “We actors like to give the impression that there’s no such thing like a casting couch, so that the audience doesn’t hate us. But the real truth remains — it does exist. The only thing is to not succumb to it,” she says. And sure, like most television stars, Amrapalli has Bollywood dreams too. “I would like to work with Subhash Ghai although I believe that his work has deteriorated. That apart, Ram Gopal Varma draws out the best in a newcomer and Mahesh Bhatt movies (without the smooching scenes) are what I’d like to be part of.” An emotional girl, Amrapalli is fiercely passionate about her work. Her dream is to be a Kathak dancer some day. And yes, she’d also like to do a dance-based reality show some day. “Even if you reach the second or third episode of a show, you get to learn some dance from the masters at least,” she quips.