Following her heart

Once a leading star of small screen, Niki Walia starts her second innings with a negative role

November 10, 2017 12:46 pm | Updated 12:46 pm IST

ROLE REVERSAL Niki Walia

ROLE REVERSAL Niki Walia

After a long hiatus, Niki Walia is now back with a bang as the fickle and headstrong Laila Raichand in Dil Sambhal Jaa Zara , a soap on Star Plus.

For the ravishing actress, billed as Madhuri Dixit of small screen and seen in positive characters in serials such as Astitva... Ek Prem Kahani , this is her first negative role.

“I have picked a few real life billionaires in India and England to play Laila. The way they carry themselves and pretend to be happy even when they are lonely inside. This character is multi-layered. She waivers and is flaky. I knew this was the role I had to do if I were to run away from my home in the U.K,” she discloses with a chuckle.

Going down memory lane, Niki remembers how she was declared peace ambassador in Miss World University pageant in Korea in 1991. “I was representing Mithibai College in Juhu. I performed in the Italian show, walked in swimsuit and performed Bharatanatyam. But I wanted to become a pilot. Studying for higher studies at Houston was my ambition but my father thought that it was a dangerous profession. For further studies, I needed money. So I went to Parmeet Sethi, my cousin, who always told me that modelling was the right profession for me as I was good looking, tall and slim. And I ended up wearing clothes of Archana Puran Singh (his wife) for my portfolio. My first portfolio was with Gautam Rajyadhaksha. I did all this to make a career in flying. Even before I could see my portfolio, representatives of Danabhai jewellers saw my pictures during the shoot and commissioned me work. I did so many ads like Ponds, Siyaram...”

When she was auditioning for Coca Cola ad for Mukul Anand, he said it was high time that she stopped selling products. “He told me that I have an expressive face that can sell characters. So move from tan tana tan to emotions. When he said I was a natural I was thrilled and it stayed in my mind,” gushes Niki.

She had a dream start when she was signed opposite Anil Kapoor in Mr. Azaad . “Working with Anil was a fantastic experience. He taught me a lot about discipline; he was always on time. He also taught me technicalities like facing the camera, not blocking light of co-actors, uttering dialogues as soon as the trolley comes to a halt. I was a young girl who was in awe of Anil Kapoor. He instilled in me things like being hungry for diverse roles and not being satisfied till the best shot was given. Overall, it was a learning curve for me.”

Though the film flopped, she pulled off the role of a cop and got decent reviews and signed Yes Boss opposite Shah Rukh Khan but sadly she lost her father. “It was his first and last heat attack. So there were personal reasons for discontinuing work in Bollywood.”

Romancing Sanjay

Interestingly, she is working opposite Sanjay Kapoor, Anil’s younger brother, in Dil Sambhal Jaa Zara. “ Laila wants to romance Sanjay but he falls in love with her daughter. Sanjay is so much fun and grounded. He has a smiling face even when he is not happy. We worked together in Shaandaar where he played a loud Sindhi. Here he is playing a sophisticated character.”

On exploring her negative side for the character, Niki agrees how Astitva left such a huge mark on people’s mind. “Dr. Simran was seen as an icon by millions of viewers. This role is diametrically opposite. I had my apprehensions when I was given this character by Vikram Bhatt but I knew I would succeed in playing Laila’s role with aplomb. From playing Simran, a character whom people still pray, to doing Laila, was a huge challenge.”

It is not that she is completely unlike Laila. “Like Laila, I have great style sense and am headstrong but I had to bring in so many little nuances from meaningful little smiles to holding a shaking champagne glass.”

She is pretty slim and had to wear oversized clothes to portray Laila. “I am wearing a range of kaftans. They make me look like a biggish woman. Kaftans have rarely been shown in television serials.”

Similarities with Madhuri

Do people still compare her with Madhuri Dixit? “Those who know us tell me that our nature is similar,” smiles Niki. “Like me, Madhuri is large-hearted and polite towards co-workers. We met in a flight while I was travelling to receive Kalakshetra award in Delhi and started comparing our smiles. Her eyes are bigger than mine, while I tower over her. Both of us do yoga. Though Madhuri has shifted from the U.S. to live and work in India, I have no such intentions of abandoning U.K. as my twins are studying there,” signs off Niki.

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