Nitu Chandra: People can’t digest that I made it to Hollywood on my own

Someone might have “helped, lobbied or backed her” — these are some of the assumptions and questions that actor Nitu Chandra Srivastava is facing ever since she walked into Hollywood. And she says it is because people “can’t digest” her move towards West.

Chandra made her Hollywood film debut with Never Back Down: Revolt, and went on to sign two more projects which are yet to be announced. After she got positive feedback for her maiden Hollywood project, the actor admits that people’s attitudes have changed towards her.

“Everything has changed, and it continues to change with every passing day. It is an ongoing process. But I would like to share one thing which is that people can’t digest that I was able to make it on my own in Hollywood,” Chandra confesses.

She continues, “The fact that ek ladki aapne aap, apne balbute pe aur bina kissike backup ya background ke, udhar jaakar lead role karli.. It is shocking for them. They can’t believe it. That’s why they are trying to pass its credit to someone or something ke kissi ne backup kiya hoga, ya kissi ne paka se dilwai hogi.. But I want to say, arrey, aopni country mein toh dilwa nahi paaye, Hollywood mein kaise dilwange”.

But she doesn’t harbour resentment against anyone, and asserts, “I am not against anyone and just want to focus on myself. But I would like to tell them that we all are the same, and we have to make our own opportunities and positions, instead of thinking ill about others. Because karma is a big thing”.

However, the actor, who has featured in projects such as Garam Masala (2005), Traffic Signal (2007), Oye Lucky Lucky Oye (2008) and 13B (2009), is not in a mood to let someone else takeaway her credit.

“I didn’t get the credit I should have got earlier, because I didn’t have any film background or didn’t have any army backing me. I chose quality work which mattered, over creepy or shady stuff. I have made everything for myself brick by brick… It took a long time but now nobody will take my credit from me,” she concludes.