She was born in Lucknow, lived in Hong Kong and later moved to Mumbai with her family. But Anaika, who did a fashion designing course in Malaysia, never thought she would end up becoming the heroine of a Ram Gopal Verma film one day.
Speaking to CE, the pretty newcomer who is the female lead of Varma’s Naanthan Da says, “I was to pursue my graduation in Mass Communication when a meeting with RGV changed my life!”
Apparently, the meeting happened purely by chance. “My friend asked me to accompany him when he was going to meet music director Sandip Chowta. RGV happened to spot me in the building’s elevator and later enquired from my friend if I would act in his film,” recalls Anaika.
Though her businessman father had his reservations about her entering films, he was convinced once RGV met her parents . “I’m so grateful for the trust and confidence RGV placed in me,” says Anaika, who is thrilled to join the ranks of the fresh talent he has unearthed in the past.
Though Anaika was a bundle of nerves the first day of shoot, she soon got accustomed to things once RGV put her at ease. “He told me, ‘just be yourself on screen because you are exactly like the heroine I’ve conceptualised’. So the role is very close to my heart,” adds Anaika.
The challenge lay in the scenes where she had to cry and emote at the same time. But what she enjoyed the most was dancing in the three songs in the film, “When I lived in Malaysia, I formed the habit of watching many Tamil and Telugu films on TV. I just love the high energy levels during the dances! I certainly want to do more Tamil films,” she concludes.