She is the latest in the line of beauty queens to enter the film scene from the world of ramp.

On the face of it, former Miss India Nikita Anand, who makes her debut in Hindi films with Manish Tiwari's 'Dil Dosti etc' (not counting 'Life mein Kabhi kabhie' which featured her in a small role) releasing across the country today, may seem just another beauty pageant winner entering films by cashing in on the limelight coming her way.

For Nikita, however, the foray in films is a well thought out move that comes after a lot of deliberaion.

'For me, after winning the Miss India crown, doing films was not a natural choice. In fact, initially, I did not want to join films as I did not have any preparation or background. I like to be confident of what I am doing before venturing into it, ' Nikita told UNI on the eve of the release of 'Dil Dosti etc', which also marks veteran filmmaker Prakash Jha's debut as a producer.

Said Nikita, who features in the film alongside Shreyas Talpade (of 'Iqbal' fame), newcomers Imaad Shah (son of Naseeruddin Shah) and Ishita Sharma and Smriti Misra, 'you know, I cannot get into films just because others are doing so. In fact, earlier I just did not want to do films. However, a brief stint with theatre whetted my appetite for a career in films. Still, before coming in films, I wanted to do some ground work for a career in tinsel town.' 'There may be a lot of people who have not undergone a formal training in acting and yet made a successful foray in films. But, then, everyone has his or her own way of approaching things. I am basically a person who wants to be well prepared before trying my hand at something.

So, I have taken my time entering films, undergoing in the meantime training in Kathak besides doing many workshops in acting,' said Nikita.

Asked whether she felt the pressure of expectations upon her with several beauty pageant winners like Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra establishing a niche for themselves in the tinsel town, Nikita said, 'expectations are always there from every actress who joins films. This trend of beauty pageant winners joining films started in 1994 when Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai joined the industry. They were followed by Lara and Priyanka and all have been successful so obviously there will be more expectations from me too. However, I am prepared for it.' Talking about 'Dil Dosti etc', Nikita said, 'actually, 'Dil Dosti is the first film that I signed after I decided to enter films. 'Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie' was a film I signed much later and has me just in a small role.' About her role in the film, she said, 'I play a character called Prerna belonging to a very well to do family. She has a lot of dreams and aspirations and wants to make it big in life and become a model. She joins this college and meets Shiv and falls in love with him even though he is the total opposite of her in terms of background. But like her, Shiv is also highly ambitious in his own way.' Incidentally, the film also features her in a kissing scene with her co-star Shreyas Talpade (who plays the role of her boyfriend Shiv). Media reports have it that Shreyas got very nervous during the kissing scene.

Talking about the scene, Nikita said, 'why just him it was me too who got very nervous. Finally we just did it because we were acting and it was just for a scene. So we immediately got over our nervousness. Since it was a very small scene we wrapped it up quickly.'

Asked whether she did not feel she would go unnoticed in a film featuring several actors, Nikita said, 'things in Bollywood are changing today. It's no longer like films in earlier decades when there was a hero and a heroine. Today, increasing number of character driven films are being made. Naturally then, these films will have a lot of characters rather than just a solo hero or a heroine. Also, people today do not watch a film just for as hero and a heroine.' Nikita said 'Dil Dosti etc' was a film she got when she was meeting a lot of producers. And, among them was Prakash Jha.

'It's just that this was one of the films I recieved an offer for, and, I like it! So I went ahead and did it. In any case, I am just starting out and it is too early for me to say I will do this kind of films or not do another kind. At this stage, if I get a film and like it, I'll do it,' she said.

Nikita said the banner, script, story and the producer of the film were the factors she gave consideration to while taking up the venture.

However, if given a choice, Nikita said she would love to do a period venture like, 'Parineeta'.

'I would love to do a period film. It just transports you to a period when you were not there. For example, I'd love to do a 'Parineeta'. I somehow find it very interesting when a film takes you back to decades before when everything was so different from what it is today - the lifestyle was so different and your country was so different.

It's like everything is so changed from what it is today and so you have nothing to fall back upon. As playing these characters would be new and extremely challenging as an actor, ' Nikita said.

She may now be trying her hand in films but Nikita has dabbled with a variety of things and disciplines.

After passing from school with a distinction in Science, Nikita studied Fashion Designing. Later, she participated in the Miss India pageant, anchored many sports based shows on television, studied elocution and prose-poetry from the Trinity School of Speech and Drama before joining films.

She said, 'I enjoy doing different things. Even during my childhood I was involved in a lot of different things like elocution, sports, singing, and drama. However, now that I have done two films, my only preoccupation is a career in films.'

--- UNI