When Madhu Shalini got a call from RGV!

Hyderabad: It's funny how things just happen out of the blue sometimes. Madhu Shalini always dreamt of acting in a film directed by Ram Gopal Varma.

'I am a die-hard fan of RGV. So when I learnt that he was looking out for an actress for Department, I wanted to throw my hat in the ring but did not know how to approach him,' says Madhu Shalini.

Then the unexpected happened ' she got an audition call from RGV's office. 'Apparently RGV happened to see a few clippings of my last Tamil film Avan Ivan,' she says.

And as luck would have it, Madhu Shalini was in Mumbai then. 'I went and did the look test immediately. Later, I got a call from them saying that they wanted to have me on board,' she exclaims. That's the story of how the doe-eyed actress landed in Bollywood.

She's already completed shooting for the first schedule and is pleased as punch about the whole experience. 'I am super excited to be making my Bollywood debut with Ram Gopal Varma. Besides I am getting to share screen space with stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt, so yes, it's quite something,' she beams.

Madhu Shalini is doing something that's never been done before 'playing a lady gangster. 'It is so different from anything I've done before. When I went back to find some reference material and realised that no one had ever done anything like this in Indian cinema, I was overjoyed. So it is a huge challenge but I am confident that this role would give me a lot of recognition,' she shares.

It's been five years since she made her debut in Telugu with Kitakitalu. She has also made successful forays into Tamil cinema but is yet to break into the top bracket of actresses.

Madhu Shalini though, has her own take on it. 'I am very happy with the way my career has turned out so far. I have never been the sort who wanted to act in three to four films every year. I always preferred to do sensible work. Frankly, I always had a limited spread of films to choose from and I made the best of the opportunities that came my way. And five years down the line, I am making a new beginning with Bollywood, so I think I am doing alright,' she contends.

In fact, her tryst with showbiz was pure luck when her aunt sent some photographs of her to the Gemini Dream Girl contest. 'I was in Class X then. Soon enough I found myself doing modelling and films happened by chance. So it has been quite a ride and I really can't complain,' she explains adding, 'I am a very happy person by nature and generally don't complain or crib.'

Madhu now plans to concentrate on her classical dancing as she is a trained Kuchupudi dancer. 'I've not found the time to concentrate on my dance practice. I want to continue training and I want to perform,' she shares.

She also loves pencil sketching. 'I plan to have an exhibition of my work someday. It is something I really enjoy doing. I also design my own clothes,' she says talking about her hobbies. When not working, she loves to spend her time with her friends and family.

Ask her about her long-term plans and she says with a shrug, 'I've given up on planning. In any case, my life has never gone according to plan.' Well, a wedding must figure somewhere surely? 'I've never been in any hurry be it with my films or settling down,' she retorts.