Actress Niki Aneja Walia, the star of several TV shows like Sea Hawks (1996), Saher (1999) and Astitva…Ek Prem Kahani (2002), has opened up about landing her first film opposite Anil Kapoor, and how that experience scarred her so much that she quit her second film, opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Films was never the plan even though her father was associated with the industry, but she took up modelling gigs to earn money to fulfill her dream of becoming a pilot.
How Niki Aneja landed her first film thanks to Mid-day
Niki made her acting debut with Mr. Azaad (1994) starring Anil Kapoor as the hero. Here`s how she landed the film: During her modelling days, Niki flew to Seoul, South Korea, to participate in the beauty pageant called Miss World University in 1991. She ended up being the runner-up at the pageant, resulting in her being World Ambassador for Peace 1991-1992 – Miss Arirang as it was called in South Korea.
Her success at the pageant was covered in Mid-day, which was noticed by filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani who approached her for Mr Azaad. Initially she was prepared to turn the offer down, but when she found out she was to star opposite Anil Kapoor, she couldn`t say no.
Mr Azaad did not work at the box office, but Niki started getting more opportunities. She was offered the lead role in Yes Boss, opposite Shah Rukh Khan. But how did Juhi Chawla end up doing the film?
How being bullied during her first film led to Niki Aneja quitting films
Niki narrates, “A month before Azaad, my father passed away. I was not in a good headspace. After 5 days of shooting Yes Boss, I went to producer Ratan Jain and wanted to return the Rs 1.5 lakhs advance I was given. I said I don`t want to do the film,” she told Siddharth Kannan.
The reason why she wanted to quit films was the experience she had while working with Pahlaj Nihalani in Mr Azaad. “I wasn`t treated nicely during Azaad, and not just because I was a newcomer. I was all of 19. I was expected to go on dinners with distributors after pack-up, in order to sell the film,” she narrated.
Niki says the kind of conversations that happened during those dinners, she felt objectified as a woman. When she objected to those dinners, Nihalani told her, “Picture nahi bechni hai kya (Don`t you want to sell the film?)”
“And I said, if you can`t sell the film even after signing a star like Anil Kapoor, then what is the point? After that, I became infamous on the sets, ki issne Pahlaj ji ko yeh kaise keh dia? My thought was, if I don`t want to do something, how can you force me? After that I decided I will not do films post Yes Boss,” Niki shared.
