Six years ago when Sandeepa Dhar made her debut in Bollywood, she showed a lot of promise. However, rather than portraying the stereotypical heroine and running around trees, the actress, who is also an accomplished dancer, chose to play supporting roles in Dabangg 2 and Heropanti. Now, she is set to leave her demure image behind with her upcoming film 7 Hours To Go in which she plays a tough-as-nails cop. In a quick chat with Bombay Times, Sandeepa reflects on her career and reveals why surviving in Bollywood is a struggle.

You have shed your girl-next-door image with this film. Were you apprehensive?
I wanted to do something different as I feel it's important for actors to explore a variety of characters for creative satisfaction. Also in Bollywood, actors get stereotyped very easily. After Dabangg 2 and Heropanti, I was offered similar kind of roles. When I approached director Saurabh Varma for this film, he wasn't convinced that I would be able to pull off the role of a bad a** cop. He changed his mind only after I gave a screen test. Rarely do you get a chance to play a strong female character and I grabbed this opportunity with both my hands. I hope this film helps in changing people's perception about me in the industry.

So in the interim, you deliberately didn't take up work because of the kind of roles that were offered to you?
Yes. As I said, once you become good at something, filmmakers take you for granted and offer the same roles. For instance, I had become good at playing someone who you feel sorry for. I didn't want to take up work out of desperation. So, I took my time. Today, most of the actors are trying to fight this notion and aspiring to do different kind of roles.

In this industry that's so competitive, didn't you fear that rejecting films would affect your career?
It surely gets difficult because there are only a certain number of films that are offered. So you have to take a call whether you want to take up work or sit at home. My father isn't a producer or director who will make a film just to project me in a different light. At the end of the day, I have to run my house. If I don't do films, I will not be able to survive. Working in Bollywood is a constant struggle.

You have done a lot of stunts in your forthcoming film. How did you prepare for it?
I have seen a lot of heroines doing action sequences in Hindi films but they don't look convincing. However, in Hollywood, actors are spot on as they undergo a lot of training. I wanted to do the same. So, I trained in Mixed Martial Arts. Also, in the film, I have a lot of hand-to-hand combat scenes with male actors. There were days when I couldn't get out of the bed due to the rigorous training. Physically, I look petite. So during the shoot, I had to ensure that when I punched, it didn't look gimmicky.

Are you happy with the way your career has shaped up so far?
To be honest, right after my debut film Isi Life Mein released, I flew to Australia where I got an opportunity to be a part of a Broadway. A lot of film offers were coming in, but I was too focused on my dancing. When I came to India on vacation, I did Dabangg 2 and later, I also shot for Heropanti. I had signed an exclusive contract with my dance academy and got busy with my shows for two years. Later, I signed Global Baba and 7 Hours To Go.

Now that you are playing a female lead, would you be comfortable doing supporting roles?
I don't judge a role on the basis of its screen time. I have done ensembles and supporting roles, too. For me, my character is important. The audience is smart and can judge the difference between a good and a bad film. As long as I get to play a good character, a second lead or a supporting role is not an issue.

Do you ever wish you had a godfather in the industry?
I am really happy that whatever I have achieved so far is because of my talent and perseverance. But having said that, I think having a godfather is a great thing because it gives you easy access to the industry. We have seen examples where star kids are launched by their families, and sometimes films are especially made to resurrect their career. I don't have a godfather in the industry. But I don't regret it. I feel it will only push me to work harder.

Do you believe in luck?
Along with talent, destiny is also a big factor. I think our profession has a lot to do with being at the right place at the right time. No matter how much I work hard and put my best foot forward, ultimately what is planned for me will happen.