So how did this 20-something, firang-looking Haseena trip into the world of glamour?
She is not just firang looking, she is actually half-Scottish. ``My father is Scottish and my mother Mangalorean. Being a deep-sea diver, my Dad stayed and worked in the Gulf while we stayed in London and made frequent trips to India.'' Her foray into the glamour world happened when Helen won a beauty contest. Along with the crown came the offer from Jag Mundra for the lead role in Monsoon. ``I came to Mumbai for the movie and then just decided to stay on and try my luck there,'' she smiles.

And while Helen's acting prowess in the just-released movie is yet to be ascertained (she insists her role is not as risque as people imagine it to be), she has meanwhile become popular as the Janam Samjha Karo girl or then Haseena, courtesy the two music videos she's starred in...
``Music videos have become part of the modelling business now - you land a role in them like you would in any ad campaign. But I am not restricting myself to this alone. I am open to modelling, ramp shows, videos and, of course, Hindi films''.

Hindi films? Er... with her anglicised diction?
``I think my Hindi is okay. I have managed pretty fine with it. In fact, I have just completed a movie with Govinda and Rani Mukherjee - Had Kar Di Aapne. They would give me my dialogues in advance and I delivered them just fine,'' she insists.

So what is like living in Mumbai as compared to good ol' London?
``Y'know, even back in London, Mom brought us up pretty much like Indians. We were given freedom, but simultaneously, were taught about Indian culture and values. So neither my three siblings nor I ever misused our freedom. Most of my friends there were also Indian. So living in India is not much of a cultural shock. Of course, in my opinion, Mumbai hardly represents real India, it's entirely too cosmopolitan. In fact, I tell my friends back home that if they want to see India, they should stay away from Mumbai''!

How does Helen handle her half-Scottish, half-Indian identity? Was it a disadvantage in London?
``Well, I was never considered British in London. But one cannot label that as racism - because even here, I am not accepted as Indian. However, I do recognise that had I tried to make it as a model in London, my Asian origins would have made things difficult. But here, my being a half-Brit has helped - sadly, we are still enamoured of white skin in India''.

And what if she had not opted for the glamour world?
``I would have been a fashion buyer, it's what I studied. Or then, I would have delved into my passion in life - the criminal mind. Initially, I wanted to do psychology and specialise in criminal psychology. I am fascinated by the way a criminal's mind works. The human mind is so complicated and intriguing. In fact, I would love to meet a serial killer!''

But for all her deadly interests, Brodie claims to be a die-hard romantic. ``Being in love is the best thing that can happen to a human being...'' ... So is there someone waiting with a wedding band for her?
``I am in love and he is here in India. But I am not saying anything beyond that.'' she smiles. Janam Samjha Karo.