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The German connection

Photo: PTI

Desi girl Claudia Ciesla at Hanuman Mandir in New Delhi’s Connaught Place

Talking to Claudia Ciesla, it is hard to believe that she is new to Bollywood and India. The German model, singer and actress, with a vermilion mark on her forehead and high cheekbones, radiates intelligence through her countenance and ken.

In Delhi for the promotion of her film Karma: Crime, Passion, Reincarnation, she also inaugurated Marwah Studios’ Asian Academy of Film and Television’s School of Graphics and Animation. Claudia also released the first poster of the AAFT School of Graphics and Animation. Sandeep Marwah offered her lifetime membership at the International Film and Television Club of AAFT and also a role in a feature film initiated by the studio along with an American company. She of course accepted both.

It is easy to tell that Claudia loves talking about Vivek Singhania’s Karma, a psychological-thriller directed by M R Shahjahan mostly shot in Ooty. “I play the key role of Linda who was murdered in India 30 years ago and reincarnates as Anna, an orphan, who returns to India. And then strange things begin happening,” she says about her role.

The movie, an international project, filmed in English has also been dubbed into a number of languages including Hindi. Among other awards, the film won the Best Feature Film award at Marbella International Film Festival.

Claudia began her career as an Internet glamour model at a young age as ‘CClaudia’. Since then she was featured on the covers of magazines such as “Mercedes” and “Chic” of Germany and “Cult” from Italy. She has also done a number of photo-shoots for ads, calendars and fests in Europe.

Though the blond actress played the role of a German journalist in Arin Paul’s Bengali movie 10:10, Claudia became famous in India and abroad after Karma. On her experiences of working with an Indian crew, she says, “It was like one big family and there was always a warm atmosphere on the sets,” she says. “While working in 10:10 also, I was touched to see the crew touching the revered actor Soumitra Chatterjee’s feet,” recalls the actress, who also sung a track for the movie.

Ask her about her plans , she diplomatically avoids specific answers, but mentions with a million-dollar smile, “I’m really interested in working here in Bollywood. I’m very serious about it and I’m going to learn Hindi soon.”

Though she is all set to jump onto the Bollywood bandwagon, Claudia has been more popular in the past for her alleged link-up with Salman Khan than her work.

Denying the charges, she says with the slightest touch of irritation in her otherwise cheerful and confident voice, “Salman is a great actor and a good friend. Just a friend.

He introduced me to his family and Katrina also.” Well, one can just hope that the gorgeous Claudia doesn’t fade away like others before her.

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