THIRUVANATHAPURAM: As a child she longed to be a beauty queen and used to watch the Miss India contests with awe. Her dream did come true, not once, but twice when she was crowned Miss Lucknow and Miss North India in 2005. And now the Lucknowi lass, Richa Panai, better know as the ‘Bhima’ girl, has conquered Malayali hearts with her youthful and radiantly fresh face, and acting prowess. She is only a year old in the Malayalam ad industry but already has an enviable list of movies to her credit.
Richa, who was in kochi recently for the shoot of the movie ‘Vadamalli,’ spoke to ‘expresso’ about her latest projects, dreams and aspirations.
A soft-spoken yet smart girl who has got her priorities right, Richa says she wants to concentrate on the Malayalam film industry for the time being. She has her reasons. “I love Malayalam movies, as they give an actor a lot of opportunities to develop his/her potential.”
The Miss North India Contest was a turning point in the life of this bubbly NCC cadet who represented the 19 up girls battalion and was adjudged the best cadet during the academic year 2001-2002.
The contest was her stepping stone to the world of glamour and entertainment. “Actor and social activist Shabana Azmi crowned me. I was taken aback by her grace and poise,” says Richa who was then doing her Plus Two. She has been nurturing her dream of entering the film industry ever since.
Richa joined the Kingfisher Airlines as a flight attendant in 2006 and was adjudged the Best Flight Attendant (Delhi) in the same year. Meanwhile she continued with her modelling assignments. For, she knew that she was destined to be in the entertainment industry.
It was while working for Kingfisher that director Jabbar spotted her and gave her a role in the ‘Bhima’ television ad.
“I was on my way to Mumbai and Jabbar met me at the airport. It was 11 p.m. and I was very tired after a hectic day. But that was the last opportunity to meet him since he was going back to Kerala after an audition in Mumbai. It seems he didn’t like any of the girls who had auditioned,” recollects Richa. And the rest is history. For Richa the ad was a new beginning and a great learning experience. “I was not a ramp model and till then I had done only print ads. The ‘Bhima’ ad helped me to learn some acting skills. Jabbar had to train me and it helped. I even had to learn to ride a motorbike. Initially, I was too scared but all the hard work paid off. The ad was well-received by the audience,” says Richa who has done ads for Seemas as well.
Later film-makers Pramod-Pappan chose her for the movie ‘Bangkok Summer.’ “‘Bangkok Summer’ is an action-packed thriller with a serious storyline. In fact, the role offered to me was very different from that of the happy girl I portrayed in the ‘Bhima’ ad.” But Richa says she enjoyed the shoot which was held in Bangkok and was completed in a record time of 25 days.
She is excited about her role in the movie ‘Vadamalli’ directed by Albert Antony. “The role I have been offered in ‘Vadamalli’ is my kind of role. And Albert is a wonderful director. The movie is being shot all over Kerala in exotic locales. So along with the shoot I am discovering Kerala,” says Richa.
She wants to learn Malayalam and is now finding time for the same. “One day I will do the dubbing for my films in Malayalam,” says Richa who is trying her best to improve her Malayalam diction.
Many offers are coming her way from the Tamil movie industry. But Richa wants to concentrate on Malayalam movies now. “Malayalam movies are serious movies. The actors here are known not only for their glamorous looks but for their acting talent as well. I want to be known for my acting,” says Richa. We wish her luck!
manuvipin@expressbuzz.com