Ayesha Takia is a Big girl now

"It seems I was the only non-smoker in No Smoking. Everyone else was busy smoking all the time, " laughs Ayesha Takia. After her glorious performance in Dor, she was seen in Anurag Kashyap's anti-smoking film.


"Anurag Kashyap has been a good friend for five years. We always wanted to work together. Initially No Smoking didn't have much for me to do. It was a small role of John's wife.

But finally Anurag Kashyap gave me two roles in No Smoking, of John's wife and his secretary. Another actress was to play the secretary. He turned two characters into a double role for me.

Not just that, he added scenes as the film progressed. I guess someone somewhere likes me."

She laughs pleasurably, obviously enjoying her new status as a serious actress. "I think Anurag is a genius. He has the guts to do something different."

For someone who's just 21 Ayesha seems to be playing a lot of wifely roles in films as far-ranging as Shaadi No 1 and Dor.

Ayesha is happy to be building her own niche. "At least Dor has taken me away from this young bubbly image. I hope more people feel that I'm capable of doing something more.

Thank God Nagesh Kukunoor trusted me with Dor….Not that I don't enjoy running around trees. But what I wouldn't give to do more like roles like Dor and No Smoking. People do seem to be offering me a variety of roles. "

Ayesha Takia won't Kiss!!!

To kiss or not to kiss for Nagesh Kukunoor's Ashaayen is no longer the question.

For Ayesha Takia the right not to kiss is unquestionable. But has she said no to Kukunoor's kiss because of boyfriend Farhan Azmi?"

"First of all, I never said no to the film. I said no to the scene. I can't say no to Nagesh. After Dor he's a friend and a director I respect immensely. I still think we can work our way around the scene.

But Nagesh is adamant. So I guess...You know Anurag Kashyap's No Smoking had a kissing and love-making scene. Anurag altered the script for my sake."

Trailing off she comes back with… "But Farhan or no member of my family has anything to do with my decision. My values make me uncomfortable with such a scene. If I go to a premiere with my family, and that includes Farhan, and see myself kissing on screen I'd be very uncomfortable."

Ayesha is one of the rare actresses who has no qualms about the presence of a boyfriend in her life. "True love is so hard to find. And I've found it. These days relationships are so fickle I feel our generation has too many choices.

If we don't change our father mother or sibling why must we change the person whom we want to spend our life with? The prospect of the soul-mate being replaceable is so wrong. Once you know you can change priorities in your life you stop investing your complete self into the relationship."

Is marriage on the cards? "Not right away. But I see no harm in having a career and a home side by side. When I do get married I'll know if I can manage both. Right now God is kind enough to give me a bright career and I see no room for marriage.

However let me add, I'm not one of those actresses who'll marry when her career comes to a dead-end. That's like saying, 'I've no other choice so I might as well get married.' That would be an insult to the person I love."

Farhan is okay with the idea of an actress as a wife. "He's very proud of work. He's not much of a movie buff. But he watches my films. I don't let him watch my silly films—and please don't mention names, ha ha. But Farhan saw Dor. And he loved me in it."

Why did she do the silly films like Shaadi Se Pehle and Shaadi No 1? "I don't regret doing any of my films. I feel every film I've done has helped me reach where I'm today."

At 21 Ayesha feels all her dreams are coming true. "I may not be able to walk around the roads of Mumbai and eat pani-puri on the roads. And very honestly I've no friends…No friends at all in the industry or outside it.

My family and Farhan—and he's part of my family-- are all the friends that I have time for…Yes, it's a good life…Though I don't think I've been given enough chances to prove myself. I think my career has just taken off after Dor."

Face to face Ayesha Takia

She's young, bubbly and vivacious. She has the attitude and the oomph factor to the max. Actors come and go but Ayesha is one actor who is here to stay. She has won millions of heart and her acting abilities have been recognised as well. A close encounter with the damsel, who's ready with her next release. TIMES NOW's Medini Sharma gets close and personal with Ayesha Takia.

Times Now's Medini Sharma talks to the dashing damsel of Bollywood Ayesha Takia

Medini Sharma : From, 'Socha Na Tha' to 'Kya Love Story Hai', you seem to have come a long way. How has the journey been?

Ayesha Takia : It has been fun all the way simply because all along I have worked on my terms. I've always acted from my heart and have never really bothered whether a film does well or not. Perhaps, this is the reason why I love acting so much.

Medini Sharma : You are playing a very independent lady in this film. Are you the same in real life as well?

Ayesha Takia : Not really. In fact, I'm a very dependent person in real life. It is only while I’m acting that I need my space otherwise I'm always with the people I love.

Medini Sharma : How was it working with Tushar Kapoor?

Ayesha Takia : Everyone had told me that Tushar is a very sweet guy and it turned out to be true. I loved working with him for he is a thorough professional.

Medini Sharma : The promos of the film seem to be giving more footage to Kareena Kapoor than you? What is your say on this?

Ayesha Takia: I feel if a song of my film starring someone else is doing well then it is good for the film. I have no issues with that.

Medini Sharma : You had a 40 day schedule in Capetown. You must have missed your loved ones especially your boyfriend Farhan. How did you manage?

Ayesha Takia : It was hard. I did miss my family and Farhan. We are so used to being together 24*7 that we can’t do without each other. A 40 day schedule is indeed big. I hope, I don’t get such schedules now.

Ayesha Takia go away from Aamir Khan's film

Last month we told you that the buxom Ayesha Takia will be Aamir Khan ’s heroine in the Hindi remake of the Tamil hit Ghajini .

Directed by A R Murugadoss and produced by Madhu Varma (a relative of Ram Gopal Varma ) and Alu Arvind, Aamir’s yet-untitled film had roped in Ayesha as one of the female leads for the film.



But now, Ayesha has walked out of the film.

The Hindi remake of ‘Ghajini’ is a two-heroine project, and after finalising Ayesha, the filmmakers were hunting for the second leading lady.

Talks were initiated with Kangana Ranaut and Priyanka Chopra , but with Ayesha now walking out, the filmmakers are facing a double setback.

Ayesha’s exit is a mystery as she was very charged about working with Aamir.

Something obviously seems to have gone wrong, but no one really knows what, says an inside source.

Ayesha admitted saying in a report that she has walked out of the film but refused to give any reason saying, “All I can say is that there were some irrevocable differences. Beyond that, I cannot say anything. It’s pointless to talk about a project I am not doing anymore.”

Filmography of Ayesha Takia

Salaam-e-Ishq ( Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, Govinda, Shannon Esrechowitz, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Sohail Khan)
Dor ( Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag, Shreyas Talpade)
Shaadi Se Pehle ( Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, Mallika Sherawat, Aftab Shivdasani, Sunil Shetty)
Home Delivery ( Vivek Oberoi, Boman Irani, Ayesha Takia, Mahima Chaudhary, Saurabh Shukla)
Shaadi No. 1 ( Fardeen Khan, Ayesha Takia, Zayed Khan, Esha Deol, Sharman Joshi, Soha Ali Khan, Riya Sen, Aarti Chabria)
Socha Na Tha ( Abhay Deol, Ayesha Takia)
Dil Maange More ( Shahid Kapur, Tulip Joshi, Ayesha Takia, Soha Ali Khan)

Ayesha Takia

Ayesha Takia was born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She comes from a mixed family. Her father is Gujarati, and her mother is half British and half Maharashtrian.She has said in interviews that she grew up speaking English at home and had to learn Hindi and Telugu for her film roles