Laapataa Ladies’ Nitanshi Goel: After audition, when I heard Aamir and Kiran wanted to meet me, I thought it was a prank call
At the age of 16, actor Nitanshi Goel has found herself in the spotlight, earning waves of appreciation for her portrayal of the character Phool in Kiran Rao’s latest film, Laapataa Ladies. Recalling her journey to securing the role, Goel shares, “When I got the offer to audition for it, I had no clue that it was associated with Kiran ma’am or Aamir (Khan, actor and co-producer of the movie) sir.” Continuing, she shares, “The moment I read three long scenes, I just wanted to be a part of it. I prepped the whole night for the project and watched old movies. I woke up and got ready as Phool; I didn’t even have a saree, kisi tarah lehenga dupatta pehenke kia.”
The actor, who was also seen in supporting roles in Sukhee (2023), couldn’t believe it when Aamir expressed a desire to meet her. “I got a call within a few hours of the audition that Kiran ma’am and Aamir sir wanted to meet me for lunch. At first, thought that it was a prank call,” she shares, adding, “Maine bola ki mere dimaag main toh ek hi Aamir Khan aa rahe hain, par aap please specifically bataaiye aap kiski baat kar rahe hain. They assured me that it was him, and I was surprised.”
“I was so nervous to meet him. He said, ‘Aapne kya kamaal ka audition diya hai’. He asked me ki aapne acting kahan se seekhi hai. I told him that I had just given four to five auditions every day, and from each audition, I learnt to play different roles. He went up to my mum and said, ‘Aapke paas heera hai’,” she recounts the conversation and adds, “It felt so special as my mum also started weeping. Mera kitna bada sapna sachh ho gaya. I’ve always looked up to him, and now him having conversations about my life and praising me was unbelievable!”