Drama queen Veena defends kissing spree

By Saadia Qamar

Published: March 20, 2013

Actor says the Pakistani press needs to grow up.

KARACHI: 

Mostly in the limelight for controversies about her bold photo shoots and publicity stunts (we’re still not over the light-up bra!), actor Veena Malik, says that she loves the attention. “It feels great when people compliment you on your looks and skin,” she told The Express Tribune.

Veena, who was placed on the 26th spot of FHM India’s 100 Sexiest Women list, recently set a record by kissing 137 men in one minute, breaking actor Salman Khan’s earlier record. When asked why she resorts to such tactics for publicity, Veena was furious. “Please do not talk to me if you have to ask me this,” she said. “This was part of my film’s [The City That Never Sleeps] campaign. If Salman Khan can do it, why can’t I?” she deplored, adding that she feels the Pakistani media “needs to grow up”. In 2011, Salman got 108 kisses in a minute on the reality TV show Guinness World Record — Ab India Todega.

While talking about The City That Never Sleeps, the actor said, “It is my most recent project and for that we have opened two contests, one for selecting a singer for an item song for the movie and another one to select a couple required as supporting cast.” Veena revealed that the crew plans to break “20 more records” and that the kissing record was part of them.

The TV host-turned-actor is excited to see the response for her upcoming Kanadda flick Silk, which is scheduled to release soon. “It will hopefully be a grand opening in the South [of India] and I am eagerly waiting to see it happen.” She added that she is busy with the promotions of her films and will start working on other projects by May.

The actor hopes that people enjoy her work in her films Zindagi 50/50 and Mumbai 125 kmand said that she will only accept “exciting offers” made to her from the Pakistani media. “Pakistani channels keep offering me different projects, but I will take up only one if it is exciting,” she said, adding that “it should not get monotonous” because she gets bored “very easily.”