After being behind-the-scenes, Shivaleeka Oberoi is ready to face the camera with Amrish Puri’s grandson
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 17, 2018)

Mirror (August 8) was the first to report that late actor Amrish Puri’s grandson Vardhan is gearing up to make his acting debut with a yet-untitled romantic-thriller, which is being produced by Jayantilal Gada, recce for which is presently on in Delhi and Shimla. We have now learnt that the makers have zeroed in on Shivaleeka Oberoi, who had earlier assisted Sajid Nadiadwala on the Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez starrer Kick and Sajid-Farhad on Housefull 3, to play the leading lady.

“I always wanted to be an actor and working on these films only reaffirmed my decision. So, after I got done with Housefull 3, I started going for auditions in pursuit of my acting aspirations. One day, I got a call from a casting director informing me that the producer of this film, along with Vardhan and the creative team, wanted to meet me. I was given the script to read and I was completely blown away by it. Vardhan and I enacted a few scenes during which we realised that we have been Facebook friends for the last seven years and were from the same school,” laughs the 23-year-old actress who immediately bonded with her leading man.

In the film, she plays a college girl, and the role spans a few years. “I’ve been workshopping with Vardhan for almost a year now; we start our action rehearsals in two days and I can’t wait to begin shooting towards the month-end,” admits Shivaleeka.

She has done a three-month diploma course in acting while Vardhan has been an actor-in-training since he was five, learning the craft under the tutelage of his grandfather’s mentor, National Award-winning actor filmmaker-writer-actor Satyadev Dubey. “Soon after college I did a few ads but I was very selective as I wanted to work in films. I’ve learnt a lot while working behind the camera. When I had met Mr Nadiadwala he asked me to start assisting him on a film that he was directing. I was one of the first to come onboard Kick and was a part of the writing process, as well as the prep. I used to mostly handle Jacqueline and Salman’s call time. Being on that set was great exposure. Now I can’t wait to face the camera,” the newbie signs off.