PC’s cousin Barbie to make her Sandalwood debut

Barbie Handa

They are cousins and have even done a few commercials together. But Barbie Handa's relationship with Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra is not something that the young actress wants to brag about. "I've just started out in films, while she has been around for a decade. I am looking at making my sister proud with my work, rather than relying on her name. We are very close, but you won't hear me talk about that much," says Barbie, who will make her Kannada film debut in Premaya Namaha, opposite newbie Fayaz Khan, the son of a former minister. The film also stars Ramya Barna and Harshika Poonacha.

What prompted Barbie to take up this multi-starrer? "I took up the project because of the story and my character. Yes, I agree that there are two other girls in the film, but from what I understand, one of them does only a special number and the other is the second lead. My character in the film is beautiful and will not just be seen in a few scenes and a song and a dance, but throughout the film. In a male-dominated industry like Sandalwood, that is a rarity," she says. Premaya Namaha, says Barbie, will release around the same time that her Telugu debut Prema Geema Jaanta Nahi, also hits screens. And the young model-turned-actress is upbeat about her prospects in both industries. "I'm hoping to do more Kannada and Telugu films once both these films hit screens and audiences accept me," she says.

The Delhi girl, who now lives in Mumbai, is also preparing for her B-town debut. "I've signed up for a Hindi film, but the production house is yet to make a formal announcement, so I can't talk about it yet. But we are hoping to start shooting later in the year," says Barbie.