Comedy genre usually meant for heroes: Nushrat Bharucha

                Mumbai: She may have starred in several comedy films, but Nushrat Bharucha feels the genre usually belongs to heroes with very little scope for the actresses. Nushrat, best known for starring in the popular "Pyaar Ka Punchnama" franchise, says actresses are often laughed at as they are not expected to do something smart. "Doing a comedy is a bit different for girls. Nobody expects girls to do something smart, or give one liners in a film. Usually people laugh at her (the character). The heroes, on the other hand, are going to be laughed with. There is a difference," Nushrat told PTI. The actress was recently awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation award for her comic role in "Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2". Giving an example of Chandler and Rachel, popular characters from the hit sitcom "Friends", the 30-year-old actress says she worked hard so as to not make her character a caricature in "Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2". "A character like Chandler Bing, who is smart, funny and extremely charming, exists, while at the same time there is a Rachel who some people think is just a blonde who cannot do anything. "I had to work hard on my character so as not to make it become a caricature, not just limit her as the butt of jokes but make her more human," she said. The actress made her debut with "Jai Santoshi Ma" in 2006 and went on to act in Dibakar Banerjee's "Love Sex aur Dhokha" before gaining prominence with "Pyaar Ka Punchnama", which chronicles the life of three heartbroken boys. Nushrat feels now is the best time for filmmakers in Bollywood to come up with a genuine movie which explores female bonding. "I really believe now is the time we should make a true chick flick. That's something we have not explored yet. It should be done realistically, may be about four girls and the bond they share. It should be interesting," she said.