“Life is all about entertainment. Bollywood adds colour to life,” says 11-year-old Neha Kumari Rana. She is a daughter of Nepali migrants; her father is a Security in-charge and her mother is a domestic help. 

Neha, her parents and her two younger siblings – a brother and sister, all stay in a single room in the same building where her father works. She finds enough space to practice her acting skills in this small house where her siblings double up as her audience.

Neha and her siblings study in GKTMPS Cleveland Town, Bengaluru and she is filled with the right amount of energy that is required for her age. Mesmerised with the glitter and glam associated with Bollywood, Neha says she wants to become an actress when she grows up. 

Neha’s dream of stepping into Bollywood stems from her fascination for film stars, particularly, Kajol. She says, “I love Kajol because she has the most beautiful eyes and facial features. My favourite film of hers is Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and I watch it every time it is played on television.” She further adds that she is a huge fan of actor Tiger Shroff, because “he looks very handsome and he also wears nice clothes.” Her favourite movie is Baaghi 2.

At school, Neha has a natural liking for languages. Hindi and Kannada are the languages she likes and Ayesha Ma’am is her favourite teacher because she chooses her as the leader for many co-curricular activities.

When asked why she wants to get into Bollywood, she says with an innocent smile, “I want to be successful to win people’s respect for my parents and my family.” Having said that, she quickly adds, “But to reach there, I need to set my base right. I have to study well and complete my education until graduation. First studies, then acting.” She says only then will her father tell her, “Jaa Beti, Jee le apni zindagi!” (Go and live your life dear daughter) and enacts the same in a very filmy style.

The school bell rings to break for lunch and the excitement to eat her mid-day meal is shown on her face. She says that she loves Pulao, Sambar and rice because they are very tasty. She waves like Deepika Padukone in On Shanthi Om and heads off with her friends to have lunch.