Rasna doll's debut into films

On location, all decked up, she looks like just another of those ``all beauty and no brains'' type. Wait. Look closer. The copy of Thomas Hardy's `Far from the madding crowds' in her hand makes the onlooker's brows knit together enquiringly.

Walk closer and say ``I love you Rasna'', and she looks up in a jiffy and responds in a toothpaste commercial smile. Got it? That's Ankita Jhaveri, who, as a three-year old, stole a million hearts with that famous Rasna ad. Remember that chubby cheeks girl who would impishly declare "I love you Rasna."

Well! That was two decades ago. The same girl, nay, the young lade is here in Cyberabad, all set to steal more hearts in her first film, `Lahiri, lahiri, lahiri lo', produced and directed by Y.V.S. Chowdhary.

After the tremendous success of the Rasna jingle, she worked in an ad for Videocon and several more brands. It was in March this year that Chowdhary came across her portfolio and flew down to Mumbai to cast her in his production. She is very excited and is working extra hard to give her debut her best shot.

A student of Queen Mary's Convent in Mumbai, Ankita or Beboo as her pet name goes, plays Beethoven, Mozart and other western classical musicians on the piano. She just wrote her first year B.Com examination before flying down here. Among her role models are Madhubala and Rekha but closest to heart is the unforgettable Meenakumari. And oh! She goes ga-ga over Chi Chi Govinda.

She is a foodie - and an "idli-dosa-vada-sambar" lover. Of course ice creams, chocolates and teddy bears are not far behind. She calls herself a ``flowers'' person and loves to receive them, particularly red roses.

Strongly individualistic, this Gemini appears to be an introvert at times and a social animal at others. She may still retain her "Rasna" image, but she's got her fingers crossed, all hopes pinned on `Lahiri, lahiri, lahiri lo'. Can Beboo make to the pinnacle of success?

By Suresh Krishnamoorthy

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