JOIN USFrom studying in Lucknow to smouldering on screen in Anees Bazmee’s multi-starrer comic caper Welcome Back, it has been a dizzying journey for the young Ankita Srivastava. “I have worked with stalwarts like Nana Patekar, Dimple Kapadia and Naseeruddin Shah in my very first movie. I consider myself very lucky to have been a part of this blockbuster,” says Ankita.
Smashing debut
It has been quite a coup for the debutante who is busy honing her acting chops on the job. With no formal education in acting, and no training in any dance forms to work to her advantage, Ankita elbowed past the curvaceous Mallika Sherawat (who had essayed the same role in the Welcome movie) to play out the nakhras of the character Rajkumari in her first film. “The film-makers were looking for a fresh young face, and it was a classic case of me being in the right place at the right time. Call it a stroke of luck. My audition went off very well and soon enough, I got a call from the production house that I was on board! It was a delirious moment for me. Also, it was extremely awe-inspiring to have seasoned actors including Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor chasing me in the film. In fact, I had an absolute blast shooting for the entire film. We were constantly in splits on the sets; there was so much of humour around and I shared camaraderie with all my co-stars,” says Ankita.
So what made her suddenly trapeze into Hindi films? “Honestly, it has always been my mother’s dream to see me as a film star,” she shares. “My mother is a simple homemaker, and my father is a senior engineer working with the Central Drug and Research Institute in Lucknow. I have two younger siblings. There is absolutely no filmi connection that my family has,” she laughs. “So you can say that it was destiny that I landed in Mumbai for pursuing a career in Bollywood and was almost immediately signed up for a mainstream hit sequel. I was lucky I did not have to struggle like many others to land my first project,” she explains.
Ankita has been brought up on a steady diet of Sridevi films. “I absolutely love her acting in ChaalBaaz and Chandni in particular,” gushes Ankita, as she crosses one leg over the other, dressed in white (her favourite colour).
“And I have learnt aplenty by simply observing Sridevi on the silver screen. I am also deeply influenced by Dimple Kapadia’s sense of style. She is just so elegant,” she adds. Of course, being based in Mumbai does make her miss home and family, “especially the delicious food that Lucknow is famous for,” she exults. “But I have managed to find my groove in Mumbai and have made quite a few friends. I like the space, safety and independence that living on my own in Mumbai brings along with it. My hometown carries its own charm though, and my parents visit me now and then to make sure that I am not homesick.”
What next?
Ankita was busy modelling and walking the ramp at fashion shows for leading fashion designers in Mumbai and Delhi, and shooting for print advertisements before Bollywood beckoned. “Consequently, yoga and meditation has always been a way of life, with crazy shoot schedules and hectic calendars thrown in. I make it a point to take time out for my meditation every day. It is a beautiful connection I share with my inner thoughts,” she says.
As of now, Ankita is busy with multiple script reading sessions, both from Bollywood as well as down south, and is gearing up to sign on the dotted line for many plum projects, film-makers. “At some point though, I do wish to start a large spa. A well of calm for rejuvenating the soul. That is also my dream,” she says.
“I believe all good things come to those who wait,” she signs off. So be it. Slow and steady wins the race, and the lissome star-in-the-making is clearly here to stay.