In the early 90s, when most of the new actors were trying to make their place in Bollywood, Nikki Aneja was something different. Her smile and looks were often compared to Madhuri Dixit. Seeing her acting, director Mukul Anand told her that she was made to sell characters and not just products. But at the age of 19, Nikki took a decision which very few people took at that time. She expressed her views openly, faced controversies and then stayed away from films. His journey in films was short, but later he made a good name in the world of TV.
Got ‘Madhuri’ tag and rebellious beginning of career
Nikki Aneja’s entry into showbiz was a little different. She wanted to go to Houston and take training to become a pilot, but her father did not allow it. To fulfill her dreams, Nikki secretly got a portfolio shot done at her cousin Parmeet Sethi’s house, in which she wore Archana Puran Singh’s clothes. During the shoot, famous makeup artist Mickey Contractor saw her and said that she looked like Madhuri Dixit.
Nikki told in an interview to Siddharth Kanan, I got the tag of Madhuri Dixit from the very first shot. This tag remained associated with him for a long time, but he neither adopted it completely nor distanced himself from it. Soon after this, a jewelery brand made her its face. At that time Nikki was studying in college. During this time, she was sent by Mithibai College of Mumbai to an international student pageant to be held in Seoul. There he won the title of runner-up and was also made Peace Ambassador.
Shortly after returning from Seoul, Nikki Aneja got a call from film producer Pahlaj Nihalani, who called her for a meeting for the film. But his father again refused and said, ‘This industry is not for you.’ But ultimately from that meeting, Nikki got a chance to debut with Anil Kapoor in the 1994 film ‘Mr. Azad’. Nikki told, ‘As soon as I came to know that my hero in the film is Anil Kapoor, I immediately said yes.’
Casting couch faced on the set of ‘Mr Azad’
During the shooting of the film Mr. Azad, Nikki Aneja had to face many things which had nothing to do with acting. They felt that they were not being treated properly. According to Nikki, she was asked to go to dinner with the distributors at 11 pm. He also questioned producer Pahlaj Nihalani about why he was being taken to these dinners.
On this he was told that this had to be done to sell the film. Nikki said in response, if you have signed a big star like Anil Kapoor and still the film is not selling, then what does it mean? After this, she was seen as difficult and asking too many questions on the sets, and gradually guiding her properly was also reduced.
Took a big decision at the age of 19
At the age of just 19, Nikki Aneja took another big step. She appeared on the cover of a film magazine, the headline on which was, Pahlji: Not a maker, but a film spoiler. This decision did not benefit her career, but for Nikki it was a matter of her honor and self-respect. Nikki says, I wanted to wake up every morning and feel honored by looking at myself in the mirror. Before the industry threw me out, I myself decided to walk away with dignity.
Debt, family problems and the decision to leave ‘Yes Boss’
Nikki Aneja had signed the film Yes Boss, in which she was going to play the lead role (which was later done by Juhi Chawla). But then great sorrow came in his life. His father passed away and it was then revealed that the family had a lot of debt, about which he had no idea before.
Although Nikki Aneja had shot for about five days for ‘Yes Boss’, she decided to stay away from films completely and also returned the advance of Rs 1.5 lakh given to her. Nikki says, ‘I was very tired mentally and physically at that time. I told Ratan ji that I would not be able to work properly in that condition.
Did turn to the world of TV
The family had debts and responsibilities, so Nikki turned to the world of TV. She says, ‘I thought it would be better to be a big fish in the TV pond than to be a small fish in the big ocean of films.’ This decision proved to be right for him. Within a few years, Nikki Aneja started playing lead roles in six-seven TV shows simultaneously, like ‘Dastaan’, ‘Andaz’, ‘Baat Ban Jaye’, ‘Aandhi Jazbaaton Ki’, ‘Sahar’ and ‘Sea Hawks’. Through these shows, he made a strong mark for himself in the TV industry.
During this time, Nikki Aneja also started hosting stage shows of Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, which were produced by the Murani family. Nikki says, ‘My popularity also helped fill the seats in the show.’ Gradually he paid off all the debts of the family and also got his sister married.
Accident on the sets of ‘Gharwali Uparwali’
When Nikki Aneja’s career on TV was at its peak, a big accident happened in her life. During the shooting of the sitcom Gharwali Uprawali, a junior artiste’s car accidentally ran over her in a scene and she was badly injured. Later it was revealed that the person who was hired to drive the car did not even know how to drive properly.
Nikki suffered serious injuries in this accident and had to stay in the hospital for more than a month. During this period, all his five TV shows also stopped. Recalling that accident, Nikki Aneja says, ‘I was very badly injured. The driver hit me and ran the car over me. A hematoma of about three liters had formed in my body. I was in a semi-conscious state in the hospital.
When Shahrukh Khan came to meet me in the hospital
Nikki tells that one night when she was in the hospital, when she opened her eyes, she saw Shahrukh Khan sitting near her bed. She says, I thought maybe because of the medicines I feel as if Shahrukh Khan is here. According to Nikki, Shahrukh held her hand and said, ‘Nikki, I am Shah. I am very sorry. It is now 12 o’clock at night, but there were paparazzi outside so I was waiting for them to leave. I could come only at night.
Then he lovingly touched her head and asked how she was and whether she needed anything. Nikki asked him, what are you doing here? On this Shahrukh asked him a question, ‘Were you hit by a red Maruti van?’ Nikki said, ‘Yes, but why are you asking?’ Nikki tells that Shahrukh Khan had remembered one thing from that day.
He told that on the same day he had seen the same red Maruti van in Film City and there the production team of the show was teaching a man to drive the car. Shahrukh told Nikki that she should file a case against the production house. Nikki says that she will always have respect for Shahrukh for this help and support. Later Nikki actually filed a case against the production house. After the settlement, his hospital expenses were covered, but due to this accident, all five of his shows were stopped, for which no one could compensate.
New beginning after the accident
After the accident, there was a big change in Nikki Aneja’s life. In February 2002, she married Sunny Walia and moved to UK. When she came to Mumbai for some time to collect her luggage, she got a call from director Ajay Sinha. He offered her the role of Dr. Simran in Zee TV’s show ‘Astitva…Ek Prem Kahani’. Nikki agreed to do this show and kept commuting between the UK and India from 2002 to 2006. During this time, her husband also came to India and lived with her during the shooting.
After this show, the character of Dr. Simran Mathur became recognized in every household. Later, when her twin children Sean and Sabrina were born, Nikki took another big decision and took a break of about ten years to raise the children. She says, this decision was absolutely right for me.
Nikki Aneja’s comeback
In the year 2017, Nikki Aneja returned to TV and played the character of Laila Raichand in the Star Plus show Dil Sambhal Jaa Zara. She then played the role of Principal Maya in ALTBalaji’s youth drama Punch Beat (2018–2021), which was a complex and unique character.
She was also seen in the role of Harpreet Brar in all three seasons of ZEE5 series Never Kiss Your Best Friend. Apart from this, she was also seen in Netflix films Guilty (2020), Tara vs Bilal (2022) and Double XL (2022). In the thriller film Niyyat (2023), he starred alongside A.K. Played the role of therapist Zara. Nikki has also appeared in the UK’s first British-Asian daily soap Cloud 9.
