South actress Raai Laxmi is all set to make her Bollywood debut in Deepak Shivdasani's Julie 2, produced and directed by him. With the film's release date to be announced soon, BT caught up with her for a quick chat. Excerpts...

Your Bollywood debut is also your 50th film. Was this a planned move?
I couldn't have asked for a better film than this for this landmark in my career. However, I'd never planned my Bollywood debut. I was looking at women-centric scripts down South, when this offer came my way through common connections. I was aware that the first part had a lot of skin show, and insisted on this film being different. And, it is indeed different. Julie 2 may have a lot of skin show, but it also has a hard-hitting, relatable story.

Could you take us through your character in the film?
The film revolves around the nepotism in the industry, which was recently talked about. I play a small-town girl, who faces many difficulties before achieving success as an actress.

As a 49-films-old actress, you could have chosen any film to make your Bollywood debut. Why Julie 2?
This film has a beautiful story. I was offered a lot of films in Bollywood, but this one stole my heart. Also, Deepakji is a brilliant director to work with.