She may not have any A-league film offers in her kitty, but what she has in plenty is a string of controversies biting her vertiginous heels.
In just three years, Tanushree Dutta has earned quite a reputation for being Bollywood's hell-raising tantrum queen. Most of the controversies have very little to do with her on-screen histrionics and more to do with her people skills - or lack of them.
In a tell-all interview, the Bengali babe comes clean on the scandals dogging her since her 2005 Bollywood debut.
With her new movie Saas Bahu Aur Sensex (SBAS) having hit the theatres on Thursday, we start the round with her alleged spat with its director, Shona Urvashi.
Rumour has it: That you have zero confidence in Shona Urvashi and that she finds you a thorough unprofessional.
Firstly, I accepted SBAS after I learnt about its producers. It's not everyday that Hollywood entertainment giant Warner Bros would take a step into Bollywood. And regarding the director making disparaging remarks about my so-called unprofessional behaviour, all I have to say is that they are trying to rake in publicity by running me down. If you look at the movie's cast, I am the only popular young star, so such problems are bound to happen. It just goes to show the director's insecurity in her own product. I am not bogged down by such accusations either.
Rumour has it: That the problems began when you began to feel insecure about your co-star Masumeh Makhija's role.
[Masumeh also happens to be the director's sister]
You must be kidding. To be insecure about Masumeh is stretching things a bit too far. I have many unflattering qualities, but insecurity is not one of them.
Rumour has it: That you were gutted when Bollywood siren Bipasha Basu publicly blurted your name when asked about "The celeb in need of a desperate makeover" on the popular chat show Koffee With Karan.
It was a wake up call of sorts. When I look back, there was a time when I relied blindly on my fashion designers. But I am wiser now and I am more conscious about the way I carry myself. I have also learnt to reject clothes that may be trendy but doesn't enhance my personality.
Rumour has it: That you went under the knife in quest of perfection.
Going under the knife is a personal call and I don't see anything wrong with it. Having said that, I am all real and have not gone under the scalpel yet. Actually, I might get a nip or tuck after 10 or 15 years. But right now, I have chosen the tougher path by working out regularly and watching my diet. I am happy being a UK size 6.
Rumour has it: That Bollywood's senior actor Nana Patekar is miffed about your alleged molestation charges.
No comment.
Rumour has it: That you are a wild party girl who turns up on the movie sets late, much to a director's chagrin.
I am a subscriber of the "Work hard but party harder" mantra. But when I am working I give it a 110 per cent, so why should anybody complain?
Life is all about living it up.
Something new from India
Saas Bahu Aur Sensex
Cast: Farooq Sheikh, Kiron Kher, Lillete Dubey, Tanushree Dutta, Ankur Khanna and Masumeh Makhija
Under normal circumstances, the few days prior to a movie's release is punctuated with stars and directors praising the project to stratospheric heights, maintaining a united front for the benefit of the cameras and being seen at the right parties.
But the promotion of the wacky comedy Saas Bahu Aur Sensex had none of the usual trappings.
The movie, featuring a mix of veteran and struggling actors, prefers to run on the back of its screenplay and acting.
"This movie is an experiment and has none of the Bollywood song and dance routines. It's a comedy about Indian housewives, fed on a staple of television soaps, entering the world of share trading," says director Urvashi Shona.
SBAS is Urvashi's second attempt at making a Bollywood movie after the debacle of her run-of-the-mill romantic comedy Chupke Se. The movie also sees the return of veteran comedian Farooq Sheikh to the screen after more than a decade.
"The idea of playing a cantankerous Parsi stock broker and a woman-hater to boot was irresistible," says Sheikh.
Apart from Sheikh, seasoned actors Dubey and Kher will play the role of sari-clad housewives let loose on the stock trading floor.
"My movie is an ode to the spirit of modern India and will hold a mirror to its changing face," says Urvashi.
