"The Perfect Husband", the play starring former Bollywood star Poonam Dhillon, has proved a hit with Indian American audiences across the US.

In Chicago, the play with its potent brew of an upwardly mobile Mumbai couple, a Punjabi Christian mother-in-law, a 'Guju' (Gujarati) friend and a Bihari servant, attracted a crowd of over 900 when it was staged at a local auditorium.

"We had a great response (from the audience)," tells Rita Singh, who hosted the show in the city.

Nitin Jagdish, a 20-year-old who directed the play, said he was very pleased with the audience response. The group has already staged 11 performances in the US. In New Jersey, the response was so good that the group is returning for a repeat show, he said.

Conceding that Dhillon's name in the cast attracted the audience, Jagdish said ultimately the play had to stand on its own merit. "Even a star cannot sustain audience interest for more than 10 minutes, if the other artistes, or the script, do not measure up," he said.

Many among the audience said they had especially enjoyed actor Sooraj Thapar's performance as a 'robotic husband' and his impersonation of Bollywood actor Salman Khan.

"I don't care what the critics say. I think it is great entertainment," said Meena Shah, a pharmacist, who saw the play with her husband. Many Indian Americans later waited well into the night to pose for photographs with Dhillon.

Despite the hectic travelling, and lack of sleep, Dhillon was in good spirits, willingly obliging her fans.

Despite it being her theatrical debut, Dhillon said she had little trouble adjusting to the new format.

"In films, the camera catches each nuance of expression in close ups. On the stage, it is less subtle, you have to act with your whole body," she said.

There is also the exhilaration of an instant audience response. "In theatre, what the critics say is not important, if you have an audience of over 800 responding to you," she said.

Jagdish, and Sooraj Thapar, Dhillon's co-star in "The Perfect Husband", said she did not have any starry airs, even pitching in with odd jobs on the stage. "She has never made us feel that we are anything less than equals," said Jagdish.

Dhillon credits her family for her down-to-earth attitude. "My sister, who is a gynaecologist, and my brother (a paediatrician) have no time for me. They treat me just like any other professional. I think my sister is a bigger star (among her patients) than I am."

About her future plans, Dhillon said she would like to direct a film eventually, although it may not be on a "women's theme". "But I don't see myself directing an action film, for instance. It will have humour, because I think that makes a film more watchable. I have seen one or two scripts, but I don't want to do anything run of the mill - no dancing around trees."

In the world of Bollywood films, Dhillon said her upbringing, and temperament, have sometimes been an impediment professionally. "When I got Yash Chopra's offer, (for her first film 'Trishul') my first reaction was a 'no'."

Her co-stars always remarked on how "different" she was. "I did not have the cut-throat competitiveness or the fierce ambition," Dhillon said. "Maybe it was the ingrained family culture, but they all said 'I was a different case study'."

Despite her recent entry into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dhillon was not sure if she would enter active politics. "I really don't know what the future brings. My friends tell me that I have the wrong temperament for politics. I need to be more of a go-getter and a bit of an attention seeker. Maybe I will get there eventually."

After the play in Chicago, an obviously tired Dhillon managed to smile and pose with all her fans. "On stage, you have to hype yourself for two hours. It takes up a lot of energy, leaving me totally exhausted. But I cannot say no to my fans (who come backstage). As an actress, it is so easy to spread happiness with just a smile. That is a gift I will always cherish," she said.