Actress Neetu Chandra will be making her foray into theatre by essaying the iconic character 'Umrao Jaan'

The model-turned-actress, who debuted in Bollywood with 'Garam Masala' in 2005, will be acting in the play titled 'Umrao Jaan'.

Veteran actress Rekha had immortalised the character in the 1981 film, and Aishwarya Rai also enacted it in the 2006 remake directed by JP Dutta. Neetu said she was inspired by Rekha and looked upon her for the role. "I was very happy when I got this offer to play Umrao Jaan...I just grabbed it. My role is different from what Rekhaji and Aishwarya had played in their respective films as film and theatre are different mediums though the basic premise remains same," she told PTI.

Neetu said she would be doing a mujra in the Hidayat Sami durected play, slated to release at Prithvi theatre here on November 7. The music for the play is composed by Rekha Bharadwaj. "She (Umrao Jaan) was a singer, poet and revolutionist," the actress said. Neetu is brushing up her Kathak skills and Urdu diction to get into the character.