Laapataa Ladies' 16-year-old lead actor Nitanshi Goel: When I heard Aamir sir is producing it, thought it’s a prank call

16-year-old actor Nitanshi Goel finds herself at the center of a wave of appreciation, after portraying the character Phool in Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, backed by her ex-husband, actor Aamir Khan. Calling the moment “surreal,” Goel remarks, “Jab se film release hui hai, my character Phool has been receiving an amazing response,” adding, “We were visiting theatres to surprise the audiences and a group of 8-9 ladies came up to me with tears in their eyes and said ‘Hum aapme khud ko dekh parahe the.’ It was such a huge compliment for me. they were kissing my forehead and hugging me. I was so happy that the film and my character are getting such a genuine loving reaction. Mai jahaan par bhi jaati hu, people recognise me as Phool.”

Goel, who has made her debut as a lead in the film in an adult character (she is playing an 18 year-old but has always done work as a child actor before this) expresses the joy of her budding career. “Kisi bhi actor ke liye yeh ek bada moment hota hai ki vo apne character se jaane jaaye, and meri toh pehli hi film hai. Moreover, so many senior actors have also watched it and have come out in tears, appreciating my performance and the film.”

Reflecting on her journey to landing the role, Goel shares, “When I got the offer to audition for it, I had no clue that it was associated with Kiran ma’am or Aamir sir,” continuing, “The moment I read three long scenes, I just wanted to be a part of it. I prepped the whole night for the project and watched old movies. I woke up and got ready as Phool, I didn’t even have a saree, kisi tarah lehenga dupatta pehenke kia.”

The actor reveals that she couldn’t believe it when Aamir Khan wanted to meet her. “I got a call within a few hours of the audition that Kiran ma’am and Aamir sir want to meet you for lunch. At first, I thought that it was a prank call,” she shares, adding, “Maine bola ki mere dimaag main toh ek hi Aamir Khan arahe hain, par aap please specifically bataaiye aap kiski baat karahe hain. They assured me that it was him and I was surprised, it was unbelievable. I was so nervous to meet him. He said, ‘Aapne kya kamaal ka audition diya hai’.”

“He asked me ki aapne acting Kahan se seekhi hai. I told him that I have just given 4-5 auditions everyday, and from each audition, I learned to play different roles. I have just learnt from my auditions. He went up to my mom and said, ‘Aapke paas heera hai’,” she recounts the conversation and adds, “It felt so special as my mum also started weeping. That memory is so vivid for me. Mera kitna bada sapna sach ho gaya. I’ve always looked up to him and now him having conversations about my life and praising me, was unbelievable!”

The actor, who was also seen in Sukhee and Maidaan (both 2023) in supporting roles, feels like Laapataa Ladies will be her big break and the door to more opportunities. “I am hoping to get more opportunities now. Only upwards and above from now on. The way this film has brought responses, this never happened with me with any other project. I really want to work in more films that I can resonate with.”

Beyond her on-screen success, Goel also has over ten million followers on Instagram. Speaking fondly of the community she has cultivated through social media, affectionately referring to her followers as ‘Nitanshians’, she says, “The fam following that I have, they are like a family to me. They call me Nits, I call them Nitanshians. I made this family during lockdown, I wanted to use the platform to represent myself as an individual. People used to like my voice so much that they started putting it as their caller tune and my videos on their status. People used to love me saying motivational quotes, and that’s how the family grew more.”