On August 6, Neetu Chandra represented India as a brand ambassador at the second Korean Ambassador’s KORUS Taekwondo World Championship in Washington. This may not be the biggest championship the actor has been a part of, but back home in Mumbai, Chandra’s bedroom wall is bursting with framed certificates and medals, leaving little room for the wall paint to show. Facing her bed, it’s the sight she wakes up to every morning. The actor points out to the oldest certificate and reveals fondly that she started practising taekwondo at the age of three. But when asked if we could photograph her achievements, Chandra politely declines. “This is just for my inspiration,” she says, and ushers us to her minimally furnished living room.
The 32-year-old actor unzips her loosely hanging jacket and emerges in a dobok , a uniform worn by taekwondo practitioners. The black belt strapped tightly around her waist proudly reads: Neetu Chandra.
Starting youngThe actor says her mother pushed her into the sport, despite her lack of interest. Today she has a fourth dan black belt in taekwondo, and is thankful for her mother’s persistence. However, till date, she wonders why her mother enrolled her in martial art classes in school. “Living in Bihar, she was married at 16. So maybe through me she wanted to live her dream,” says Chandra.
When the Patna-born actor began practising the sport, little did she know it would bring her international acclaim. From interschool championships, she made her way to national and international competitions. In 1997, she represented India at the World Taekwondo Championship in Hong Kong. “It was overwhelming and a matter of great pride.”
Bolstering the personalBut more than winning at championships, practising Taekwondo has helped the actor stay motivated and focused in her other endeavours, including modelling and acting. “It has made me comfortable and secure with my body, unlike several other actors,” says Chandra, curling up on her ivory-coloured couch.
The actor, who has starred in movies like Garam Masala (2005) and Traffic Signal (2007), is also adept at the classical dance form, kathak. She says practising the two has made her equally comfortable portraying the role of a glamorous air hostess in Garam Masala as well as a feisty roadside vendor in Traffic Signal .
However, Chandra notices that male actors in the industry often discredit her achievements. “They say ‘big deal, karti hogi martial arts’, and I have to literally perform every time to make them believe I am more than a novice,” says Chandra.
The only exception is Akshay Kumar. While shooting for Garam Masala , Chandra recalls being fascinated by Kumar’s discipline and passion for fitness. “I remember when we were staying in a Mauritius hotel and at 4 a.m., I woke up to this strange noise coming from the beach. So I walked up, still half asleep, to see Akshay doing martial arts with a Hanuman gada (mace).”
Reel-life actionThe actor suspects that the misconception of women being incapable of mastering the martial arts has deterred them from getting meaty action roles. Although with a spate of women-centric films like Akira (2016) and Mary Kom (2014) seeing the light of day, Chandra is optimistic. “When Sonakshi [Sinha] and Priyanka [Chopra] do Akira and Mary Kom it opens doors for all of us,” says the actor, who recently turned producer with the Maithili film Mithila Makhaan (2016).
After saying ‘no’ to several projects, Chandra is excited to finally do an action film. “It’s called Ladaaku , and it’s a complete martial arts film with a raw look,” she says. Two Korean martial arts experts have been invited to train Chandra for the film. But interestingly, what the actor finds more exciting is that her head trainer for the film, Rani Bala , was her key opponent at national-level championships for seven years. “She won the gold four times, and I won the gold three times,” says Chandra, “So she is my best enemy but also a friend”.
Striving for perfectionAs daylight begins to fade, we request Chandra to perform some taekwondo for the camera. She suggests we go to her neighbourhood park where she could slip on her sneakers and hit the jogging track post the shoot. “I need my posture and kicks to be at perfect angles, so it might take me a while,” she warns.
While preparing to leave for the park, Chandra munches on a quick snack which includes a banana and a piece of walnut. “I need to eat at regular intervals,” she says, complaining that even coffee is an indulgence. “But I need to eat right or else all my workout would be a waste.”
Chandra believes maintaining a good physique is a prerequisite to do well in Bollywood, which for her is a priority. While her body of work in taekwondo bears testimony to her achievements in sports, she plans to channelise her energy towards acting and producing movies. Drawing inspiration from Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft , Uma Thurman in Kill Bill and Jennifer Lawrence in The HungerGames , she says, “Why can’t I do a kick wearing a bikini?”
As we reach the park, the actor does her routine of warm-ups, and demonstrates a handful of taekwondo kicks and punches for us. “I exercise for an hour-and-a-half every day, but do not necessarily do taekwondo,” she says, launching a front kick in the air, ensuring her feet are perfectly aligned. Satisfied with her moves, she excitedly sprints towards to the camera and scans the photos. “I could have done more but it requires a proper warm-up routine,” she says, as she proceeds to jog in the park, lost behind a sea of evening walkers.
