Actor Hazel Crowney got more than she bargained for when she took on the role of Ravi Kissen's love interest in Aparna Hoshing's Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal, directed by Manish Vatsalya, but that didn't stop the actor from enjoying the film in the heartlands of Bihar. A tete-a-tete...

How was it shooting for Jeena Hai Toh Thok Daal?
It was a different experience for me altogether. I saw a different side of Indian people when I went to Bihar. It was interesting...

What interested you at script level?
The setting of the film. It was showing the underworld of India and it was kind of fascinating for me.

How about your character?
There is nothing dramatic about my character, but gets linked to the Bihari people who come to work in her house and their underworld links... I like the element about her interaction with them... The storyline is very dramatic and I chose the film for the same. The story is different, dramatic and exciting.

How is Ravi Kissen as a co-star and director Manish Vatsalya and producer Aparna Hoshing?
The entire cast and crew went an extra mile to ensure comfort and it was really sweet of them to do that. When we shot in Bihar, it was not easy. We shot in actual traditional villages in real settings unlike most films that are shot in sets.

We had an experience with a snake, lots of guns, over 5000 people visiting us on the sets everyday with cows, donkeys and camels... Ravi Kissen I must say was really sweet, nice and helpful even though he is a superstar there and the crowd was coming in droves just to get a glimpse of him.


What was most exciting about the film?
The songs. They were beautiful, amazing, you need to experience and feel the songs...

From home to Mumbai and the Bihar... it has been a long journey for you. Do you miss your family?
Yes, I sure do. We love India so most vacations are spent here, but I go home to England when I get a time. I hail from Morocco but we are settled in England. I cannot force my family to come and settle here. So I also go home to be with them... And yes, it is very very different from Bihar. (smiles)

What next to expect from Hazel Crowney?
Currently, I am shooting for an exciting item song for a film I cannot name, and there is lots of work in the pipeline...