Punjabi lass who created waves in southern films

BANGALORE: She wanted to be in Bollywood but ended up in Mollywood . That's how Nikita Thukral started her career in films after a successful stint as a model in Mumbai. Nikita, a multi-lingual actor, hails from Punjab and has about 30 southern films to her credit. She debuted in Kannada industry with Maharaja opposite Sudeep in 2005.
She had earlier acted in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films.Maharaja did not do well and she was forced to shift to Kollywood. Nikita, an MA in Economics , once again got busy with Tamil and Telugu films before returning to act in Kannada with a supporting role in Rajkumari. The film was supposed to release in 2008, but still has not seen the light of the day. Her Tata Naa Birla starring Ravichandran and Jaggesh also met the same fate as Maharaja.
It was her fourth film Vamshi opposite Puneet Rajkumar that changed her fortunes. The film which exposes the misdeeds in Bellary's mining was a big hit, and Nikita's role as the bubbly heroine won her acclaim . She appeared in a dozen of films, including Naariya Seere Kadda, Prince and Yodha. She also has acted opposite Darshan in about five films that includes soon-to-be released Sangoli Rayanna.
Nikita's career graph peaked in Tamil with the item song "Kodana Kodi" in Venkatprabhu's Saroja receiving widespread fame besides the ITFA Best Supporting Actress Award. Nikita also became one of the leading stars in Tollywood soon. Her best films there include Apartment, Chintakayala Ravi in a special appearance, Bhadradri, Anusuya, Don and Maharajsri.
After a long career there, Nikita left for Bollywood in search of a match. She made it clear: "Now, I feel I should think about the future, my marriage and things about getting settled in life."