Movie profile: Ayesha Takia
No Kissing on Screen
Bollywood is full of aspiring starlets who, in their first interview, claim that they will not expose or kiss. Nope, they will only do meaningful roles, which will prove their mettle as actresses. However, they forget their resolve as soon as the next happening director or a big banner film comes their way. They then change their tune and claim that they will wear revealing clothes on screen if the 'role demands it'. Ayesha Takia comes as a breath of fresh air in such an industry. She said she won't kiss and she won't. Not even for a leading director like Nagesh Kukunoor.
Actress Ayesha Takia enjoyed collecting bouquets for her role in Nagesh Kukunoor's Dor. Kukunoor loved her performance too and they share a very special relationship considering her has adopted her as his raakhi-sister. It was natural that he offered her the leading role in his next project with John Abraham for which he plans to shoot in 2007. However, Ayesha Takia refused to accept the role. The reason? It requires her to do a kissing scene.
Come on, the scene will be aesthetically shot and besides, who'd turn down a leading role in a Nagesh Kukunoor film? This actress will and has. She does not care if the scene will be aesthetically shot or how good her role is. She is sticking to her guns and will not do the film even if her role is the best in the world. Not even from the man who has literally nurtured her career. Takia apologizes and with due respect to Kukunoor says that she had set down some personal dos and don'ts for herself when she came into the industry. 'No kissing on screen' was one of them.
The next logical question is to ask whether the director-actress team will work out a solution to this. However, Ayesha is not hopeful. She says that the role is of a strong woman who likes to express her sexuality and the kissing scene is vital to the film. Kukunoor feels that the scene is absolutely essential. While she has every respect for Kukunoor as a director, Ayesha does want to go by her own values.
In the past, Ayesha Takia was one of many aspiring starlets. The struggler was passed over until Kukunoor offered her a substantial role in Dor. At one point, she was considered an item girl and nothing more. She enjoyed playing on her sex appeal and gave interviews emphasizing that she enjoyed her sex appeal. She came across as another Bollywood bimbo. Until she did Dor in which she played a de-glamorized role for the first time in her life.
Her role in Dor was a turning point in her career. One of thousands of glamour dolls in Bollywood until then, Nagesh Kukunoor transformed her as Meera in his film. Takia thanks Kukunoor for her transformation. She will always be grateful to him for offering the role and making Bollywood sit up and notice her. It is with genuine regret that she has turned down his offer for his next film. 
In the meantime, she is looking forward to her usual Bollywood-style films like Fool & Final, Kya Love Story, and Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq. None come even close to her role in Dor. Whether she will be able to use Dor to her advantage remains to be seen.
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