Isn’t she lovely?

Former Miss India-turned-actress Niharika Singh is ecstatic that her debut film Miss Lovely is finally getting a proper theatrical release. Niharika admits that she had shot for many big banner films but none of them saw the light of the day, and it’s only now that she’s getting a proper entry into the film industry. 

Niharika says, “As former Miss India, I did dream of being a superstar overnight. Between 2007-2010, I had signed films with Raj Kanwar, Ashtavinayak and others.

Even though I shot for a large portion of these films, they never released. I was a clueless kid experimenting with films. I didn’t have anyone to guide me and had to look for work as the money wouldn’t come in.”

The actress reveals that having no connections in the film industry, the journey proved to be tougher than she had ever imagined. She says, “My father was in the Tourism department with the government and mother ran a fashion designing institute. I was always interested in theatre and would attend workshops in Delhi. I started getting modeling offers while in school, I walked the ramp at big fashion shows, then Miss India happened. After that I began getting film offers. I was extremely disappointed when none of these films released but now I’m happy that I’m making my debut with Miss Lovely.” The actress adds that she no longer has the craze to star in big budget films. “I’ve realised that bigger films lack value. If a star is doing well, get him to do some songs and the film may become a hit. It’s like a vendor selling a commodity. Smaller films are made with passion and for the love of cinema,” says the actress.

While co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a known name now, the actress reveals that when they started shooting in 2009, none of the cast and crew had any idea about the other person’s background. “When we shot back in 2009, I didn’t know anybody. I just knew that our director Ashim Ahluwalia had made one documentary before. I had no preconceived notions about anyone, I just knew we were making a crazy film,” she concludes.