Screen Talk: Another model on the block

Krishna Reddy, who made the blockbuster Sindhoora Puvvu almost 10 years back, is now back with a film titled Poramboku. He has chosen Mumbai-based model Ekta Khosla as the heroine of his film, which stars young hero Navdeep.

From childhood, Ekta wanted to be an actress. She participated in the 2004 Miss India beauty contest and bagged the Miss Beautiful Hair title. After that, she appeared in many commercials. And now, she is making her debut with Poramboku in Telugu.

“Facing the camera is not new for me. Modelling has been my profession and acting is my passion. I did modelling for many advertisements,” she said.

“In this film, I enact a soft role. I liked the script very much. I don't think it’s easy to get a good character in Bollywood. So I would like to make my mark in Tollywood first,” she said.

She feels that down south, the people are very professional and work like a family. “You never feel homesick and everybody is very cooperative here,” she remarked.

Just like many other debutants in Tollywood, Ekta can’t speak the language as her mother is a Punjabi, and her father a sailor.

“No, I don’t know Telugu, but I can understand it. I have seen the recent hit films Pokiri and Bommarillu. I would like to learn the language quickly, which is why I've brought CDs and a book,” she said.

She had a word of praise for Navdeep, her co-star who is himself looking for a good break. She said, “Navdeep is talented. He have been very cooperative with me just like a friend.”

Ekta knows that although there is a demand for good actresses in Telugu cinema, there is still a lot of competition. She feels that if one is talented, one will definitely carve a niche for oneself.