Nikki Tamboli might have appeared in a few south films in the beginning of her career but it was Bigg Boss 14 that shot her to overnight popularity in 2020. A year later, she participated in Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 11. But this year has been particularly ‘gripping’ for Nikki. She got her big Bollywood break with Jogira Sara Ra Ra where she appeared in a dance number titled Cocktail alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Now, she is gearing up for the release of the film, Puppy Love, which marks her OTT debut.
In an exclusive chat with News18, Nikki says that she’s happy to finally have filmmakers take her seriously and look at her as more than just a diva. “Earlier, I had to skirmish the stereotype of primarily being more of a pretty face. Filmmakers and producers are grasping with the fact that I’m a lot more than that,” she states.
She attributes this change in her career to the offers that are coming her way now. “Slowly and steadily, all thanks to the work opportunities I’ve been bestowed with, I’ve been able to paint the fact that there’s a lot of finesse in my craft as a performing artist. I’m glad that the people in the industry who matter are acknowledging the performer in me and are bringing work offers to me accordingly,” the 26-year-old explains.
Shedding some light on Puppy Love, which sees her paired opposite Tanuj Virwani, she tells us, “I play a Punjabi NRI girl and they [makers] feel that my real life persona suits the need of the character with perfection. Also, the project is about me and the narrative revolves around my character. Overall, everything fell into place with Puppy Love.”
Nikki’s social media often comes under the scanner for her sexy and bold fashion choices. And with social media becoming an integral part of an actor’s life today, does she fear that her glamorous pictures can create a certain perception about her and come in the way of getting serious roles? “Not really. I’m an artist and I feel I’m tailor-made for performing arts. My social media is a reflection of who I’m in real life. But that certainly doesn’t define every shade of my personality,” she states.
Nikki further adds, “That’s just one side to it. There are countless layers in an individual’s personality and slowly and steadily, the other layers of my personality are coming out with the kind of work I’m choosing for myself.”
She goes on to also acknowledge the assumption that glamorous faces aren’t good actors. Sharing her thoughts on it, the Kanchana 3 (2019) actor says, “Well, it’s a vast industry with different people having different mind-sets. Hence, it’s only natural that multiple forms of perception will exist. This is just one of it.”
However, Nikki quickly adds that perception is transient and it can change by making the right choices. “It is not a mirror-image of how the entire industry operates. As an artist, my task is to focus on myself and my craft and do the best that I can to entertain my audience. When good work happens, perceptions change on their own. Nothing is really everlasting and indefinite,” she asserts.
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