Alisha Set for Her Intl Street Car Race

It isn't too long for Alisha Abdullah's debut movie Irumbu Kuthirai to hit screens. And there have also been talks about her next Kollywood outing.

"Yes, I am most likely to sign another Tamil movie. Right now, I can only say that it's about a girl with a tattoo," informs Alisha. But, that is not the talk of the town. So, what's been keeping her busy?

Now, Alisha, who is India's first female racing champion, is heading to Thailand for her maiden international car race.

The race, which is being held this weekend, will see this Chennai girl compete in an all-women street race. She says. "Racing against women from countries like Singapore, China, Philippines, England, Japan and Malaysia is no mean task. They are as good as many top-class male racers. Many of them literally live their life on tracks. Moreover, very narrow tracks in street races are going to make it all the more challenging."

Meanwhile, even after spending several years on track, she still reminisces about her initial days. And she doesn't shy away from accepting that, she was considered just another glam girl on the track by many. "It was the people who mocked me who helped me grow as a good racer today," smiles Alisha.

The 24-year-old, who has been a noted racer since then, claims that she trains for close to five hours daily. She believes that for a racer, mental and physical training is as important as spending time on track. Her physical exercise mainly consists of activities to strengthen neck and lower back.

According to her, adjusting to pressure within the car, getting used to wearing heavy hans device around the neck, et al are extremely difficult to handle. "The temperature inside the car will be around 60oC during the race. And that's extremely challenging," sighs Alisha.

Interestingly, she already has plans to train enthusiastic girls. "I, along with a team, will scout for budding girl racers from major cities in India, starting this August. After selecting around 20 to 30 girls, we will start a continuous training programme. We are looking forward to organizing all-women championships in India in the coming years."

Though both her racing and movie commitments keep her busy, Alisha still hopes that she would be able to spend time with family on Eid this time. "If I am not caught up with any other commitments, I will be definitely fly to Dubai to be with family. Hopefully, this time, I will get to gorge on biryani," she chuckles.