The year 2024 saw a number of acting debuts, but the one debut that left an indelible mark not just on the Indian audience but abroad as well was that of Nitanshi Goel with Laapataa Ladies. In the film, she played the inimitable Phool Kumari, who won over the hearts of the audience with her innocence. In an exclusive chat with Free Press Journal, Nitanshi opens up on filming Laapataa Ladies, its selection by India for the Oscars 2025, upcoming projects, and more.
How was this year for you?
I am very thankful and very grateful. I poured my heart into this role. I believed so much in Phool and the film. I was just hoping that it gets all the love from the audience. But when it’s actually getting so much love, it’s a surreal feeling. When Laapataa Ladies was announced as India’s official release to the Oscars 2025, I couldn’t stop smiling and dancing!
What was the brief given to you by Kiran Rao for Laapataa Ladies?
She used to call me her ‘instinctive actor’ and sometimes, her ‘one-take artist’. She would ask me to do whatever I felt like in the moment while shooting for a particular scene. Half of the time she would not even cut the shot because she would know I’d do something more, which was not in the script. The scene in the film where Phool breaks down inside the public toilet at the railway station was completely improvised. I told Kiran ma’am that Phool is vulnerable and I believe she should cry. She asked me to follow my gut, and that I did. And after we shot that scene, everyone was crying and clapping!
What’s your most memorable moments from the sets of Laapataa Ladies?
I remember when Phool finally boarded the train and was bidding goodbye to her friends at the railway station, I actually started crying, because after shooting with the team for over a month, it felt like I was saying goodbye to them in real. I was crying, the entire set was crying, all of us were just too emotional!
What’s the biggest compliment you received for Laapataa Ladies?
I recently met Kriti Sanon at an award function. I remember I kept glancing at her like a fangirl, and I was preparing in my head how to say hi to her, how do I meet her. And amidst this, she herself came to meet me and what she said next just took my heart away. She told me, ‘Nitanshi, I see little Kriti in you. I see the younger version of myself in you. And I wish to see you work in really good films. I wish to see you kill it on screen.’ I was so overwhelmed when she said that. It was such a huge moment for me.
What’s next for you from here?
The year 2025 will be full of surprises, so all I can say right now is that please have patience and wait for me. This year was like a dream and I want the next year to be even more magical. I wish to tick off more things off my bucket list.
