Ayesha Takia is a Big girl now

By Subhash K Jha

"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. "