‘I like to flaunt my body’

Yes, the movie did not fare well at the box office and I was without work for about one year. Yet another reason for my hiatus could be that I demanded huge sums as salary when I got good offers to act with biggies like Simbu and Dhanush around the same time I was working in Puli. Hence, producers were literally scared to approach me! (Smiles) I didn’t have a mentor then and I had moved over here all by myself,” Nikesha, the self-confessed rebel that she is, tells DC at the promo event of her upcoming trilingual titled Karaiyoram in Tamil, Leela in Telugu and Alone in Kannada.

She apparently plays a bold character, which has a lot of skin exposure, in the romantic thriller directed by popular Kannada filmmaker JKS. “You can’t say that it is an outrightly bold role. Yes, I have been shown glamorously for the song sequences, but I’ve never had any qualms for skin show — so long as the script demands one and it’s also important how it is going to be picturised”.

She adds, “If I am staying by the beach, obviously I have to be in appropriate attire, say a bikini or swimsuit. I am even comfortable wearing it on-screen if it goes well with the story. I think it is more of a personal choice. I do want to flaunt my body and at a later stage, I want to proudly show my kids — this is your mom!”

Ask her if she sees British model-turned-actress Amy Jackson as her competitor, and she replies diplomatically with a grin — “Amy has got a pretty face and has already proved herself in Indian cinema.”

On sharing screen space with yesteryear diva Simran, who plays a police officer in Karaiyoram, she says, “I learnt a lot from Simranji. I was curious to watch what she does on screen and off-camera. Her energy in front of the camera was infectious. She brings all the expressions through her eyes. She also advised me to be more expressive.”

Quix her on her favorite artistes, and Nikesha says she likes Dhanush and Anushka Shetty. Currently, the ravishing girl is looking forward to yet another film of hers, Narathan with Nakul, which is due to hit the marquee soon.