Model-turned-actor Nihar Pandya, who debuts in a Kangana Ranaut starrer, says his ex Deepika Padukone and he are on cordial terms

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 4, 2017)

Model Nihar Pandya who is still known as Deepika Padukone’s ex-boyfriend will make his debut as an actor in the Kangana Ranaut period drama, Manikarnika - The Queen of Jhansi. Pandya makes light of the tag saying, “I don’t get worked up over it. Yes, even the press note about my acting debut that was sent out referred to me as ‘ex-boyfriend’ but there is not much I can do about it right now. Deepika and I are cordial with each other and I hope people’s perception changes once they see my work in the film.”

He plays Bajirao II and admits the role requires a lot of physical transformation but he’s ready for it because Manikarnika is a film he’s been waiting for a long time. “Krish (the director) not only auditioned me as an actor but checked out my action and horse-riding skills before signing me. I’ve trained with Nicholas Powell, one of Hollywood’s biggest action directors, for two months. The character is the film’s hero,” he asserts.

Nihar had accidently hurt Kangana during an action sequence and she needed 15 stitches on her forehead. “She was a thorough professional, treating it like the accident that made it easier for me. We had rehearsed the scene more than a 100 times, it was just a matter of timing,” he sighs.