Delhi girl makes film debut this week

New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) Delhi girl Nikita Anand, who won the Miss India Universe 2003 crown, is ready with her first full-fledged film 'Dil Dosti Etc' but says she didn't use the pageant as a gateway to Bollywood.

Produced by Prakash Jha and directed by Manish Tiwari, the film about a clash between two student groups in a college campus also stars Shreyas Talpade and Naseeruddin Shah's son Imaad.

'I never took the Miss India pageant as a platform to get into acting. I always wanted to be Miss India and luckily I became one. If I had taken acting as my prime target, I would have straightaway gone for that just after winning the pageant and not after four years,' Nikita told IANS.

She knows expectations from her are high.

'Especially after Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai, who have made their mark in the industry. Lara followed them and Priyanka too has been successful. So there will be more expectations from me too. I am prepared for it.'

The actress, who gave a glimpse of her talent in 'Life Mein Kabhie Kabhie', wants to work with the prolific Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the versatile Saif Ali Khan.

'I would love to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Saif Ali Khan. He acts so well and he is my reel life hero,' said Anand.

The actress, who found herself in a controversy for her alleged affair with model-cum-actor Dino Morea, bluntly says it's a rumour.

'I don't know how these rumours about both of us being together began in the first place. I came to know about such a thing after I read it in a newspaper.'

Nikita started her career as a model but is right now focussed on anchoring shows on fast cars and cricket on television and acting.

'I started modelling when I stepped into the showbiz but now I have stopped doing that. I am anchoring shows and now I am looking forward to 'Dil Dosti Etc',' said Nikita who is also a trained singer.

Though she doesn't want to make singing her career, she certainly wants to sing songs for her films one day.

As far as the competition goes, she said: 'I am not here to let anybody down, the only competitor I have is myself and I believe I can curse myself and overcome my mistakes by doing that.'