Lisa Lazarus makes Bollywood debut in Veer
| By Shabnam Mahmood BBC Asian Network |
 Lisa Lazurus has hopes of moving from Bollywood to Hollywood |
Wales' Lisa Lazarus will make her big screen Bollywood debut on Friday with the cinema release of Indian epic Veer, which means hero.
The 22-year-old from Llanelli got the part after being crowned Miss Universe in 2008 and plays the part of an English princess in the period drama.
"Bollywood is huge in the UK and it was such a challenge to go there and do this," Lazurus told BBC Asian Network.
"I thought if I can conquer this then I can conquer anything."
Her acting abilities helped get her the part but she had to learn to sing and dance for the role.
"The filmmakers were looking for a British girl so they tracked me down and lucky for them I could act so I got the part," she explained.
 |  When I'm not glammed up in front of the cameras I'm in hospital clothes doing X-rays on patients so it's a completely different lifestyle  Lisa Lazurus |
"The lingo wasn't too bad as I had a really good tutor who sat down with me in the nights and went through everything. Having to learn a new language was fun.
"The dance routine was okay as well as it was mainly ballroom dancing but my dress weighed 15 kilos and dancing in that in the 45 degree heat of the desert wasn't much fun."
Lazarus stars opposite Salman Khan - often known as the Brad Pitt of Bollywood - in Veer.
Salman wrote the historic Indian drama which is set in 1875 when the British ruled India and he plays a soldier fighting for independence in colonial times, with some scenes having been shot in the historical city of Bath.
Bond girl
Lazarus, who won Miss Llanelli at the age of 13, said Salman took her "under his wing and taught her everything".
The model appears to have gone down a storm in India as she has already shot her second Bollywood film called Madras, but she has bigger ambitions.
"I'm trying to conquer the United States now," said Lazarus. "I've just returned from Los Angeles where I met some agents and it's really positive. My ultimate dream is to be a Bond girl."
Before she flies back to the US in the summer Lazarus still has her university exams in radiography to complete.
"The course has already taken four years instead of three to do," she said.
"When I'm not glammed up in front of the cameras I'm in hospital clothes doing X-rays on patients so it's a completely different lifestyle."
via:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8474088.stm
