Show stopper

Controversy is Negar Khan's middle name. But she's taken all setbacks in her stride and moved on to international film and modelling offers.

Born in Iran, raised in Norway and educated in Australia, Negar began her career as a model and actress in India.

She first hit the headlines when her raunchy video Chadti Jawani became a hit in India. Her sizzling item numbers Ishk Khudai in the film Rudraksh and Chal Hatt in Shaadi Ka Laddoo established her as a popular item bomb in Bollywood.

She continued to make waves of the steamy kind by doing a scene in a bathtub for her film Hello … Kaun Hai?

Negar's career in Bollywood was cut short by her highly publicised deportation from India due to visa violations and she was unable to attend the premiere on August 12 of Double Cross, her first film as a leading lady.

But her short-lived marriage to co-star Sahil Khan kept her in the gossip columns even after she left India.

In Norway, she once again found herself in the news when her top came off accidentally on the ramp and the images were splashed in the newspapers.

But Negar has taken these twists and turns in her stride and moved on. She has just finished shooting for an Italian film and is set to play a lead role in an Australian movie.

She also has a modelling offer from Roberto Cavalli and soon hopes to make a music album with an international company.

She was in Dubai to perform at Vibrants 2005, a rain dance held at the Dubai Country Club on Thursday, and met Tabloid for an exclusive interview.

I found her different from what I expected an item girl to be. Negar has a bachelor's degree in Marketing and Advertising and a master's in International business and came across as a mature, thinking person.

With hardly any make-up on she looked more beautiful than she looks on screen and she does have a stunning figure.

But her most appealing feature is her warm and friendly nature and her honesty.

"I believe that true beauty comes from inside. If you are clean inside that will shine through to the outside. To be beautiful you must be down to earth, know yourself and never lose touch with your real self regardless of the ups and downs in life," said Negar.

Excerpts:

What attracted you to Bollywood?

My entry into Bollywood was not planned. My destiny has brought me here. I had many Indian friends at university in Australia and they invited me to visit them after we graduated.

While there I got some modelling offers, which led to the video Chadti Jawani.

I did not understand Hindi then and the director had to explain the meaning of the words to me. I liked the concept and did the video and left for Norway.

But the number became such a big hit that I was flooded with offers from Mumbai and came back. Initially I restricted myself to songs because I did not know the language, but now I have learnt Hindi and am doing lead roles in films.

Have the controversies connected with you helped your career?

One cannot become a good actress through controversies. Success comes with talent and hard work.

The controversies are created because I am doing good work and hence people are interested in me. I would not like to be involved in controversies because they take a toll on my family.

But if they happen I am strong enough to handle them and have the support and trust of my family.

You are already known as a sexy item bomb and in Double Cross you play a pole dancer. Are you happy with this image?

I am comfortable with the image because I am young and like to dress fashionably in real life and wear similar clothes on screen.

As an actress I believe that I should not have reservations about wearing the clothes or doing scenes that the character demands.

Whether I am playing a conservative girl or a pole dancer I will go all out to become that character.

In fact, at work I see myself only as the character and do not worry about what others will think about Negar.

I had never seen pole dancing and when I was taken to a club to see it I was quite shocked and did not think I could do it. But I researched the role, spent time with the dancers and trained in pole dancing.

Finally, when I performed for the first time, the owner of the club said that I was better than all his dancers.

Do you get nervous when doing scenes like the bathtub scene with Adam Bedi in Hello Kaun hai?

No, because I am a confident person and have a passion for my work. I forget that I am Negar and become the character.

Have you set yourself any limit beyond which you will not go in terms of nudity or raunchiness?

In Indian films there are anyway strict limits beyond which you cannot go. I discuss the scenes with the producer and director but I leave it to them to conform to limits set by the censors.

Have you encountered harassment by fans due to your image?

Never. My fans respect me and treat me nicely because they know that I am honest, straightforward and down to earth.

Most of my fans are children and families and often parents proudly tell me that their daughters dance like me.

People of all ages have accepted me because they understand that on screen I am just playing a character.

Why were you deported from India? Do you plan to return?

I followed all the rules and was assured that my papers were in order. But the same officials who had given me the go ahead to work in films later said that my documents were not okay.

I think the main reason was that I became too successful too soon and unknowingly made enemies who arranged to have me deported.

Earlier I was too disturbed and did not want to go back. But now I will go back to complete Hello ... Kaun Hai? and I would love to do more Bollywood films.

What is the status of your marriage with Sahil Khan?

My marriage is over. Many people had warned me that my husband was gay but I did not believe them till I caug