"I am very greedy when it comes to success"

I have set myself very high standards, says actor Namitha "I believe that you cannot survive here only with good looks or glamour"

Namitha refuses to be branded as a glamour doll. After working in south Indian films, one English movie and a Gujarati film, the statuesque actress asserts that she is a heroine of substance and is still greedy for meaty roles and greater success.

She has two different sides. One is a very professional and dedicated person. The other is a lazy person, who likes to sit at home, watch television, play with her pet, hang out in coffee shops with friends, and come back home to sleep.

Her first brush with the camera was when she was four. "I asked my father to take pictures of me and from then on, I fell in love with the camera. When I was 14, I acted in a Gujarati film as the heroine. It was a hit and I got a few awards too," she says.

Namitha was introduced in the South with the Telugu film "Sontham" in 2002. Her second movie was "Gemini", a remake of the Tamil film with the same name. After its success, she did five movies in Telugu and after that got an offer to do "Engal Anna" with Vijayakanth.

She has done 18 films, including 11 in Tamil and five in Telugu. She is presently working in an English film `Maya', directed by Eric Manning. "I accepted it because I found the character interesting."

Her favourite stars are Simbu and Dhanush (for their dancing skills), Kamal Haasan, Rajnikant, Vijay and Vikram.

"I am very greedy when it comes to success. I have set myself very high standards and will not sit idle at all," she says.

"I shifted to Chennai mainly because I feel people here are very loving, caring and have a lot of respect [for me]. But I think young men in Tamil Nadu are very shy and pay more attention to their studies. It is only after achieving their goals in education that they pay attention to girls."

Her ideal man, she says, should be tall, dark, and handsome. But who knows ... ? "I may meet a young man who does not fit any of these requirements, but I may still fall in love with him."

Parthiban's film `Pachakudhirae' helped her prove my talent. "It was a good role. I was lucky to get it. When the film came out, everybody realised that Namitha, apart from being glamorous, could also act. I believe that you cannot survive here only with good looks or glamour."

She believes that if actors are not talented, people will not come back repeatedly to watch them.

She has done four films with director Shakthi Chidambaram and two movies with director Venkatesh. "When a director chooses you again for his next film, I consider it an honour."

She now wants to concentrate on proving herself. "I am doing a movie with actor Jeevan. In another movie, "Kaaval", I am playing a police officer. I think these two films will satisfy audiences who demand class."