I think it’s off season time for any crush.
Right now there is no crush.
I don’t want anyone to write a love letter to me.
- Nikita Anand

 
This beauty with brains doesn’t want to emulate anyone, the damsel is quite serious about her acting career and desires to work in a period film and also wants to portray the characters of Paro and Lolita. After winning the Miss India Universe 2003, Nikita on the contrary did not join films without more ado. She did anchoring, Compering and later made a conscience decision to become an actor.

‘Dil Dosti Etc’ marked her debut on the marquee, the movie has been declared as a sleeper hit and Nikita is already enjoying the taste of her success. She was recently mobbed at the launch of a new youth magazine called ' V.Rebel'.

In a candid tête-à-tête Nikita says it all.

Is beauty pageant a ticket to Bollywood
For some of the winners yes! It is a ticket to bollywood

So to be an actress or a star do you need to be title holder
No not necessary! There are actresses who are not title holders but they are very much successful & there are also title holders who have made their mark. So I don’t think it is necessary.

I mean does it help
Ah… what happens is when you enter a beauty pageant like Miss India its gives you an instant recognition it gives you a platform it opens up different avenues for you. So after winning many turn to glamorous profession like modeling, anchoring, and films etc. which are related to glamour.

Was acting in your mind when you started modeling
No it wasn’t. I did ramp modeling as nothing as such was there in my mind at that time. I wanted to enter the Miss India title, so I did modeling, when I won the pageant, I did not immediately decided to be an actor. I thought about it and after serious thinking I made a conscious decision & signed my first film ‘Dil Dosti Etc’.

Point taken. We go ahead with the conversation

You like to wear
I like Ritu Kumar’s Indian collection a lot they are quite exquisite, the saris, lehengas . I also like Rohit, Rahul and Manish for their western outfits.

Style statement
Keep things simple and classy

Anchoring, modeling acting which is more exciting.
I have done T.V. shows which I enjoyed very much. I have done a film and I have enjoyed the process of to be a part of a film. So I would say films excite me the most. Right now it’s my passion.

Experience while shooting
Oh! It was a great experience working with Prakash Jha . Though he is the producer not the director, he was always there to help us make us comfortable. We all were young and playing college students. It was a wonderful experience.

So all Dosti!, any ‘Dil Da Mamla’ during the shoot
(smiles) It was Praksh Jha himself who wrote the love letter to me. And he made me believe on the set that there is this assistant director who is madly in love with me & was trying to propose to me for so many days & finally he gathered the courage to write a love letter to me.

One day we all where having lunch & Prakash Jha handed over the letter to me and asked me to read it aloud. I started reading and later realized that it’s a love letter written by the assistant who is a very shy Guy & when he was called, I felt so embarrassed.

Everybody where teasing me and during the shoot the guy used to stand there, I use to feel so embarrassed, eventually later I found out that it was a prank played by Prakash Jha on me. I thought Praksh Jha to be a serious guy, very strict regarding his work but I find out that he also has a good sense of humor.

That was a prank, but in reality who do you want to write a love letter to you
(Burst out laughing) I don’t want anyone to write a love letter to me.

No one.
No! I don’t want anyone to write a love letter to me.

Don’t believe in love
(Gets serious) No, it doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in love. I feel it is embarrassing when some one writes a love letter to you. I would appreciate it more if someone says it to me directly.

Have you been in love
Yes I have been in love with someone (pauses and then laughs) I am not taking any names.

Your first crush
(thinks) Aaah long time ago……… in school

Current Crush
(Again with her trademark giggle) I think it’s off season time for any crush.
Right now there is no crush

No crush at present but even if given a chance on which remote island will you chill out
(Rips off with laughter once again) I do not want to be on a remote island. I love my civilization. I don’t want to be marooned on any remote island as such. I like to be amongst people in good company, say Egypt with all of my friends for a whole week. A weekend will be too short.

After some laughter the conversation turns serious..

Role model
I don’t have any role model as such, there are people from different fields whom you look up to and admire. But I don’t have any role model who I would look to emulate.

What kind of roles you are looking for
An actor should be able to do any kind of roles. There are such variety of films being churned out nowadays, there are teeny bopper films, melodrama, offbeat, low budget, high budget any kind of a role in any kind of a film. But personally I would love to do a period film.

Nikita as Jhansi Ki Rani
Well if I get an opportunity I will definitely do such film.

Dream role
Paro in Devdas, Lolita in Parineeta that type of roles.

Next
Talks are on….  Will let you know.

(Interviewed by Vishal Verma)