By Saira Agha

Isn’t she really something? With an attitude that says “Who cares?”, Veena has successfully managed to make a name for herself both in her home country and in India. Without a shadow of a doubt, this starlet oozes a persona unmatchable, both in confidence and talent. This time around, the sultry and sizzling hot actress shows off her singing talent with newly-released single “Drama Queen”, one which she says is really close to her heart as the title signifies her true self. Veena chats with Daily Times, about her various passions and how she jumped on the opportunity to bring out the singer in her. “Drama Queen” is out today guys. Make sure you witness the starlet in a bold, fun and hip avatar with effortless singing.

Q. You have acted and modelled. Walk us through the process of when you decided to venture into singing?
A. Singing and acting were my biggest passions right from the start. I remember when I was still in school, my friends and classmates were big admirers of my singing. You see, there are some things in life, which you tend to easily grasp and make them a part of you. Singing was that talent. I could effortlessly croon and hum in a beautiful way, and people would be smitten. That’s called being God-gifted. And fortunately for me, God has gifted me with more talents than one, hence my focus from singing somehow deviated when I started being appreciated and noticed for my acting skills more. But then again, the love for music never really left me. “Drama Queen” is one song, which I had been pondering over for a long time, and when I finally got the opportunity to work on it, I grasped it with both hands.

Q. Tell us in detail about “Drama Queen.” Is it bilingual or solely in English? Also, do we get to see you shaking a leg in its video?
A. As I mentioned earlier, “Drama Queen” was one song I was contemplating for a long time. I believe there is a drama queen in every girl and I’m no different. My definition of a drama queen is someone who loves having her way, loves getting attention and being showered with affection and care all the time. A drama queen is one such girl who always has an opinion over everything and hates being contradicted. She loves dressing up and aims to look her best all the time. I wouldn’t say proud but she tends to have a very high opinion of herself and expects others to be subservient to her at all times, especially men. And I think most women would be able to relate to this song. (Laughs) I wouldn’t say I am entirely like that, but yes I do have my “drama queen” moments. So the song is specifically written for those ladies who may deny it or not, but know in their hearts what big drama queens they are. Yes, the song is bilingual. It’s sung both in English and in my mother tongue Urdu. As much as I have high hopes for the song to do really well, I don’t think it would be fair to take all the credit by myself. The team that I worked with was phenomenal. Indo-Canadian hip-hop singer, rapper and songwriter Ishq Bector of “Daaku Daddy” fame has added a very fun element to the song. He has lent his vocals and music compositioning skills to the song, making it sound unbelievably great. Vishal Mull, the song’s video director has shot it in such an aesthetic way, that I had oodles of fun working on it. Most importantly, I believe female singers’ videos are 50 percent dependent on how they look. My stylist for the song, Roohi Bindra and costume designer did an amazing job with my overall look. You just have to see it to believe it. There’s more acting than dancing in the video, as it’s story-based.

Q. Did you face any setbacks or challenges in making the song and what kind of response are you expecting?
A. Well, not as such fortunately. You can say, I had more fun during the song’s making than having to face any setback. If you talk about challenge, what’s life without a few risks? Whatever I do, I give my best, which I think will be there for everyone to see. I am a slight nervous about the general response, but if I’ve given my best like I say I have, then I guess I’ve nothing to lose.

Q. How have people responded to your work in India versus in Pakistan?
A. I think it goes without saying how much more advanced and professional the Bollywood industry is than Lollywood. Actors and artists are treated with great respect and humongous admiration in India. Don’t take me wrong, as I owe my success to Lollywood for bringing me forward, but what’s the point in working in a country where you can’t even own up to your profession. Thankfully, in India, I can proudly affirm my status as an actress. It’s a sense of freedom beyond words. Monetarily, whatever I earned yearly in my home country, I am making that much money in a month here in India.

Q. How do you stay in shape?
A. Fortunately for me, I had never been a foody. I am thankful to my parents for bringing me up in such a way, where I always ate a healthy proportion of everything, and with that I exercised and remained active all the time. None of my family members are fat, thankfully as we had a very healthy and balanced lifestyle, not gorging on oily or junk foods like most Pakistanis normally do.

Q. Tell us about your upcoming Bollywood releases. Which characters have you enjoyed playing and which have you liked the least?
A. I’m on a career high. I have three major Bollywood releases this year and the next. One is Navin Batra’s ‘Supermodel’, in which you’ll see my dominant glamorous image. I can’t say much about the story at the moment, but it’s larger than life and my fans will see me portraying a character very sassy and chic, who faces hurdles on her way to the top and the pros and cons of stardom. The other is ‘Mumbai 125km’. It’s a horror movie, a genre with which I’ve never experimented on in movies. So it really was a challenge starring in one. Last, but the least, ‘Zindagi 50/50′ is another one of my upcoming films. It’s a social drama and I think a lot of people will relate to it in terms of sentiments and feelings. If you talk about naming a favourite character or a least favourite, I cannot really put my finger on one. I believe every role that I have played, good or bad, helped me learn a lot and eventually brought out the actress in me. ***

“I owe my success to Lollywood for bringing me forward, but what’s the point in working in a country where you can’t even own up to your profession.”

“I believe there is a drama queen in every girl and I am no different.”