I've got a filmi name: Lekha Washington

After making her T-town debut with 'Vedam', Chennai-born actress Lekha Washington is back in town busy filming for her next Tollywood flick. The doe-eyed actress is under contract not to talk about the film, however she does spill a few beans about the venture she is currently shooting for in the city.
"I'm playing the female lead in the official remake of a popular Bollywood film. It went on floors about a week ago and I think it is scheduled to release in January or February. I agreed to do it because Krish, the director of 'Vedam', recommended that I do it and since I take his word quite seriously, I agreed."

Apart from her forthcoming T-town flick, the actress is also shooting for Rajkumar Santoshi's 'Power', in which she plays the role of Amitabh Bachchan's daughter and the love interest of Ajay Devgn. Recalling how she landed the role, the NID-Ahmedabad graduate says, "When I met Santoshiji, he told me I was perfect for the role. There was some conflict as they wanted a big star because it was such a prestigious role but Santoshiji backed my cause."
Having wrapped up the first leg of shooting of 'Power', she is excited about having shared screen space with Bachchan senior. "The first schedule was really kick ass and the shooting just had him and me and I got more dialogues than him, which is great," she quips excitedly, adding, "I play a doctor with strong moral values in the film."
On her experience of working with Rajkumar Santoshi, she exclaims, "Working with him is awesome. Honestly, they're all awesome and I'm addicted to working with quality filmmakers like himself." Buzz in B-town is that the actress, who is touted as Rajkumar Santoshi's muse, was signed for a three-film deal by the filmmaker. On quizzing Lekha on the same, she clarifies, "It's in conversation. We're still talking about it. Everything in the film world happens once it actually happens so I'd rather not talk about it yet."
Despite her big ticket B-Town films, Lekha says she is still very much open to Tollywood. "I'm open to Telugu films. I have friends in Tollywood and I value their advice," she says.
Given her strikingly unique name, industry folks reportedly had asked Lekha to change it to a more filmi one. So, is the actress planning to change her name? "I have a very bizarre name. So, as it is, it is quite filmi in itself. It's a name that is hard to forget. I remember somebody mentioning my surname to Shah Rukh Khan and then the second time they introduced me to him, he actually remembered my name which was fantastic for me. But what's in a name? A lot of people change their names. I'm not opposed to it or for it. I just haven't come up with a better name, but for now, I'm sticking to it as it has caught on," Lekha signs off.