Growing up in Malaysia, watching Bollywood films are not uncommon and names like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachan and Aishwarya Rai are familiar even to those who rarely watch Bollywood films. However, imagine hearing the name Michelle Yeoh. What? Michelle Yeoh in a Bollywood movie! Yes the same Malaysian actress who became more famous after being a Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies.
Yeoh who was in Goa, India last week, to host the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India, said that she had grown up in Malaysia watching Indian films and was impressed by the dance, colour and drama that were characteristic of a Bollywood film.
She was in Malaysia for a special screening of her latest movie The Lady which is about the struggles of Burmese freedom fighter Aung San Syu Ki. “Playing Aung San Suu Kyi was a journey in itself. She represents many things for many people and for many reasons. For the role I tried to step into her life," she said.
"Although I have played many important roles in my life, I can say that this role has been a journey of self-realisation for me. Suu Kyi is a strong lady and her journey through the travails has been an inspiration to me, on which my portrayal of the great lady is based,” she said.
Honestly, although I rarely watch Bollywood films myself and rarely see Chinese actors or actresses in the film, I wouldn't mind seeing Yeoh because she's a good actress and her presence may be what Bollywood needs to attract the Chinese to watch the film. Imagine people in China or Taiwan watching Bollywood movies. Why not? They do have subtitles for those who cannot understand Hindi or Tamil.
Watch this space because we might just see Michelle Yeoh star in a Bollywood movie.
