The Pioneer over an exclusive chat and discusses being a part of Laapataa Ladies, preparations, and more.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
One of the leading actresses in Kiran Rao’s Laapata Ladies, a film that is currently making waves around the nation and in which the filmmaker has discovered a hidden gem, says, “We have our grounds for considering Nitanshi Goel, the newcomer, to be a gem.”
The sixteen-year-old already exudes such self-assurance! Her surroundings have been providing her with so much love and encouragement that her self-esteem has grown to such an extent that we were astounded by how professionally she conducted an exclusive interview with us regarding the success of her debut film. Amazing!
“The day I auditioned is the same day I got selected for the part,” a confident Nitanshi says, churning out as much as we could from the encounter with this young woman. “I had no idea whether the script was being produced by Aamir Khan or directed by Kiran Rao when I first held it. I started preparing by watching every old 2001 film as well as the television series Balika Vadhu.”
What followed, however, wiped the Laapataa Ladies notoriety off the ground. “I become crazy when the team informs me that Aamir Khan wants to meet me. I kept asking myself, Is this a joke or what? I will always remember our first meeting. He told my mother, “You have given birth to a diamond, trust me on this,” for that reason. “She doesn’t need to seek roles right now; they will find her,” Nitanshi said with emotion.
“After that, I made the decision to work three times as much as I could,” she said. “I first got tanned in preparation for my part! We filmed in Nashik, where the heat was unbearable. I chose to perform my scenes without using sunscreen because I wanted them to look rusty. At that time, I discovered how Madhya Pradeshi people talk. I never missed an opportunity to watch the women in ‘ghoongat’ surrounding me on my daily commute to shoot because it was intended for every woman to have a bashful, sly appearance in the movie. My eyes and body language were meant to speak for themselves, even though I didn’t have an excessive number of lines in the movie. The remainder was pure Kiran Rao genius.”
She goes on to elaborate a little more about the transformation: “When I was first approached, I was this era’s Gen Z girl; as soon as I read the script, my mind said, ‘Transformation, Nitanshi, it’s time’. I felt good about it because I was meant to be channelling my intense feminist energy at such a young age. When I realised that even my character comes from a protective family, I was able to relate to her even more.”
Are promotions stressful or enjoyable? Here’s what the debutante has to say: “I was excited to attend the screenings in nearly every state. Women were applauding for us as soon as we began marketing the movie. That’s when I realised I had what it takes to win folks over! I felt more excited than anxious. Even at this age, I could comprehend the film’s themes, therefore, I wasn’t averting my eyes from them. I knew a lot of stuff. For instance, I learned a lot about the value of a girl having her own finances when we were filming.”
