Bharatpedia

Niharika Singh


Niharika Singh (born 31 August 1982) is an Indian film actress. She began her career as a model and won the title of Miss Earth India in 2005. As an actor, she made her debut with the critically acclaimed drama Miss Lovely which competed in Un Certain Regard at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[1] Niharika was selected for Berlinale Talents in 2016 and in 2019, she joined Future East as one of the directors of the company.[2]

Niharika Singh
Niharika Singh.jpg
Niharika Singh in 2019
Born (1982-08-31) 31 August 1982 (age 42)
New Delhi, India
EducationShri Ram College of Commerce (dropout)
OccupationActress • Model • Filmmaker
TitleMiss Earth India 2005
Beauty pageant titleholder
Major
competition(s)		Femina Miss India, Miss Earth 2005

Early lifeEdit

Born on 31 August 1982 in New Delhi, Niharika spent her childhood in various north Indian towns and hill stations, moving homes and schools every few years. Her father worked for Uttar Pradesh Tourism and after the state was divided, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, Government of India. Her mother studied fashion designing and ran a design institute in New Delhi. She is the eldest of two sisters. Her maternal family from Rajasthan and paternal family from Uttar Pradesh were both influenced by Arya Samaj but Niharika does not practice any religion.[3]

Singh was an avid reader growing up and showed a keen interest in creative writing and performing arts. She recalls her first performance as Bharat Mata at the age of 4 in her elementary school in Haridwar. She would attend children theatre workshops conducted by Sahitya Kala Parishad in her summer vacations and performed in plays at Kamani auditorium in New Delhi as a child. Niharika was then sent to an all girls boarding school, All Saints' College, in Nainital where her interests in co-curricular activities were encouraged. Singh started working as a model in 1999 when she first walked the ramp for a design institute in Dehradun. She went on to pursue a degree in B.Com. (Hons) at Shri Ram College of Commerce in New Delhi and continued taking modelling assignments alongside to earn a little income. Niharika featured in several print campaigns, fashion magazines, music videos and decided to drop out of college and move to Mumbai to pursue a full time career in the entertainment business after her younger sister got admission in St Xaviers College in 2003.[4]

CareerEdit

PageantryEdit

Singh participated in Femina Miss India in 2005 and won the title of Miss Earth India along with subtitles for Miss Photogenic and Miss Beautiful Hair after which she went on to represent India at Miss Earth 2005 held in the Philippines.[5][6][7] Niharika appeared in several television commercials and print campaigns for various brands across the country and hosted a reality TV series Banungi Main Miss India with the Femina Miss India contestants of 2006.[8] Singh featured in Times of India's 2005 list of Most Desirable Women and continued her modelling career until she began getting offers to act in Bollywood films.[9][10][11][12][13]

ActingEdit

Niharika's film career began in 2006 when she signed a 10-film contract with Bollywood director Raj Kanwar under his banner Inderjit Films.[14][15][16] The films were never made and she remained locked in the contract until singer Himesh Reshammiya approached her to play the role of a haughty heiress opposite him in A New Love Ishtory to be produced by T-Series (company) and directed by John Matthew Matthan.[17][18][19] Niharika attended an acting course with Barry John (theatre director) before filming A New Love Ishtory. Due to internal differences during the making of the film, producer Bhushan Kumar pulled the finance, dubbed the unfinished version and sold the film directly to a television channel without the knowledge of the cast and crew.[20] Singh started shooting for her second film Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh Mudh Mudh Ke[21] opposite Reshammiya which was shelved mid-way.[22][23][24] She also acted in a Kannada film Private Number directed by Anand Kumar (director) that never found a release.[25][26][27]

After a series of shelved and unreleased films, Singh made her debut with Ashim Ahluwalia's critically acclaimed first feature Miss Lovely, set in the criminal depths of Mumbai's C-grade sex-horror film industry.[28][29][30][31] The film competed in Un Certain Regard at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and won 2 awards at the 61st National Film Awards.[32][33][34][35][36] Singh played a mysterious ingénue with a shadowy past, for which she earned rave reviews for her performance and a nomination for the most promising newcomer at the 21st Screen Awards.[37][38][39][40][41][42][43] During the media interactions for Miss Lovely, Niharika mentioned she is attempting to write a memoir.[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54]

Niharika rediscovered cinema after her experience with Cannes and other international festivals and joined a course at the Film and Television Institute of India in 2013 to expand her understanding of the medium.[55][56][57][58]

The actress was selected for Berlinale Talents in 2016 where she was introduced to Alexander Technique while attending a workshop with Jean-Louis Rodrigue and Kristof Konrad.[59][60]

Singh took a break from public life and made rare appearances in a few independent/art house film projects over the next decade. She was seen in Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Hindi feature Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa that premiered at BFI London Film Festival,[61][62]Bappaditya Bandopadhyay's multi-lingual drama Sohra Bridge, which screened at the 46th International Film Festival of India,[63][64][65] Nikhil Pherwani's directorial debut Ahaan, the first Hindi language film to cast an actor with down syndrome in the lead and Ashim Ahluwalia's Indian segment "Palace of horrors" in the feature length horror anthology The Field Guide to Evil which had its world premiere at South by Southwest. She actively chose to keep a low profile in the media and refused to participate in promotional activities for any film during this period.

Off ScreenEdit

In 2019, Singh joined Future East Film as one of the directors of the company where she introduced a Diversity Film Training program for students from marginalised backgrounds.[66][67] She co-founded Future East Digital with filmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia[68] and visual artist Amit Basak in 2020.

In mediaEdit

RecognitionEdit

Singh was given a rousing welcome and declared the state guest in Uttarakhand by Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari after she was crowned Miss Earth India.[69][70] She was appointed the goodwill ambassador for Rotary Blood Bank in 2005 at the behest of the Governor of Uttarakhand Sudarshan Agarwal and a garden was named after her in Mussoorie.[71][72][73]

ControversyEdit

In 2007, a model from Benaras shot to fame by walking down the ramp impersonating Niharika Singh.[74]

Niharika issued a public statement in 2017 when her name was used to garner publicity to sell actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui's memoir An Ordinary Life written by Rituparna Chatterjee and published by Penguin Random House with a fabricated account of their relationship.[75][76][77][78] After a severe backlash and a defamation case by another actress Sunita Rajwar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui issued an apology and withdrew the book within a fortnight after its release.[79][80] Veteran actress Asha Parekh showed her displeasure and said, "What Nawazuddin did to the ladies was not in good taste."[81][82][83] In a later interview, Siddiqui stated that "It was the biggest mistake of my life."[84][85][86][87][88]

ActivismEdit

In November 2018, Singh wrote an essay addressing the Me Too movement as a dalit woman in the entertainment business which was posted by journalist Sandhya Menon on Twitter.[89] The piece went viral and was immediately picked up by all leading media publications and news channels in India.[90][91][92][93][94][95][96]

Niharika has been invited as a guest and speaker on panels in Harvard University, Columbia University, The New School and Jawaharlal Nehru University.[97][98][99][100]

FilmographyEdit

Year Film Language Role Notes Refs
2012 Miss Lovely Hindi Pinky/Sonika/Pooja Nominated – Most Promising Newcomer – Screen Awards [101][102]
2013 A New Love Ishtory Hindi Kamya Dhanraj [103][104]
2013 Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa Hindi Ayesha [105][106]
2016 Sohra Bridge English, Bengali, Assamese, Khasi Ria [107][108]
2018 The Field Guide to Evil English, Bengali Sadhavi Anthology; Segment – Palace of Horrors [109][110]
2019 Ahaan Hindi Anu [111][112]

Awards and nominationsEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ↑ "Former Miss India Earth Niharika Singh as 'Miss Lovely' – BeautyPageants". Femina Miss India.
  2. ↑ "Berlinale Talents – Niharika Singh". www.berlinale-talents.de.
  3. ↑ Writer, Guest (8 August 2019). "In Conversation With Niharika Singh: Caste, Representation And Feminism In Bollywood". Feminism In India.
  4. ↑ "The Multifaceted Life of Niharika Singh". theknowculture.com. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "Niharika Singh – Miss India – Bombay Times". Bombaytimes.
  6. ↑ "Pond's Femina Miss India 2005 Winners are: Pond's Femina Miss India – Universe 2005 Amrita Thappar, Pond's Femina Miss India – World 2005 Sindhura Gadde, Pond's Femina Miss India – Earth 2005 Niharika Singh". businesswireindia.com. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  7. ↑ "Miss India winners: 2005 – Indpaedia". indpaedia.com.
  8. ↑ "Zoom's channel driver 'Pond's Banungi Main Miss India' premieres 22 February". Indian Television Dot Com. 18 February 2006.
  9. ↑ "'I am not hot and sexy'". Hindustan Times. 18 January 2006.
  10. ↑ "'I am sweet, not sexy' | undefined News – Times of India". The Times of India.
  11. ↑ "Niharika Singh is the most desirable woman no. 40.mp4 – video Dailymotion". Dailymotion. 14 January 2013.
  12. ↑ "Beauty Queens Who Turned To Bollywood". IndiaTimes. 9 January 2014.
  13. ↑ https://thehinduimages.com/details-page.php?id=6481166
  14. ↑ "Some faces bound to go places in Bollywood". Zee News. 11 March 2008.
  15. ↑ "New face of Bollywood". gulfnews.com.
  16. ↑ "Too Many Talented New Faces A Good Year For BollyWood So Far – XciteFun.net". forum.xcitefun.net.
  17. ↑ "Why Niharika Singh is here to stay – An Exclusive Drift Interview".
  18. ↑ "I play a female Vijay Mallya!: Niharika – Times of India". The Times of India.
  19. ↑ "Debutante Niharika finds new love post break-up". Hindustan Times. 25 February 2009.
  20. ↑ "Niharika Singh opens up about her experiences – Times of India ►". The Times of India.
  21. ↑ "Exclusive: Himesh romances two hot women". Sify.
  22. ↑ "We aren't cats and rats, we're girls: Niharika". Hindustan Times. 7 May 2008.
  23. ↑ Jha,Bollywoodhungama, Subhash K. (6 May 2008). "Niharika, Jennifer laugh over catfight". www.filmibeat.com.
  24. ↑ "We aren't cats and rats: Niharika Singh". DNA India.
  25. ↑ "Beauty belongs in cinema: Niharika – Times of India". The Times of India.
  26. ↑ "No language restrictions!". Deccan Herald. 30 May 2010.
  27. ↑ "A party for 'Private Number'". Deccan Herald. 20 May 2010.
  28. ↑ Amrita Madhukalya (19 January 2014). "Meet Niharika Singh, Bollywood's new 'Miss Lovely'". Dnaindia.com. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  29. ↑ name="indiatoday">Prachi Rege (28 April 2012). "Just Her Luck – Eyecatchers News – Former Miss India Earth Niharika Singh gets role in Miss Lovely". India Today. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  30. ↑ "I shivered after reading the script: Niharika Singh – Times of India". The Times of India.
  31. ↑ "Meet Niharika 'Miss Lovely' Singh". IndiaTimes. 13 January 2014.
  32. ↑ "Former Miss India Niharika Singh makes it big on the Cannes red carpet – Bollywoodlife.com". www.bollywoodlife.com. 24 May 2012.
  33. ↑ "'Miss Lovely ' at Cannes: Nawazuddin, Niharika steal the show". News18. 26 May 2012.
  34. ↑ Team, Tellychakkar. "Niharika "Miss Lovely" Singh is on cloud nine after Cannes visit". Tellychakkar.com.
  35. ↑ "'There were more posters of Niharika than Ash in Cannes'". Rediff.
  36. ↑ "The Sunday Tribune – Spectrum". www.tribuneindia.com.
  37. ↑ Udasi, Harishikaa (18 January 2014). "Playing Miss Lovely". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  38. ↑ "Niharika Singh Archives".
  39. ↑ coutinho, natasha (14 January 2014). "Isn't she lovely?". Deccan Chronicle.
  40. ↑ "Ever So Lovely". Box Office India. 17 May 2018.
  41. ↑ "It's brave to make a film like 'Miss Lovely': Niharika Singh". stars.topnews.in.
  42. ↑ Dupont, Joan (25 May 2012). "Mumbai in the Bad Old Days". The New York Times.
  43. ↑ "Aren't we all good and bad: Niharika Singh – Beauty Pageants – Indiatimes". Femina Miss India.
  44. ↑ Pioneer, The. "Unemployed by choice". The Pioneer.
  45. ↑ "Not lovely: What Niharika dislikes about bollywood!". Free Press Journal.
  46. ↑ Team, Tellychakkar. "Even the most successful actors of this industry are struggling each day: Niharika Singh". Tellychakkar.com.
  47. ↑ "Miss lovely backstory".
  48. ↑ "I Am A Mad Nomad: Meeting 'Miss Lovely' Niharika Singh". www.santabanta.com.
  49. ↑ "Student of cinema". The Indian Express. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  50. ↑ "Meet miss lovely". Telegraphindia.com. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  51. ↑ Kumar, Anuj (18 January 2014). "Miss Lovely: Behind the scenes". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  52. ↑ "PIX: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Niharika visit the Rediff office".
  53. ↑ "Why was Nawazuddin Siddiqui scared to kiss his Miss Lovely co-star?". 6 January 2014.
  54. ↑ "I didn't even know Nawaz says Miss Lovely Niharika". Hindustan Times. 6 January 2014.
  55. ↑ "Niharika Singh talks about her Cannes Journey – Beauty Pageants – Indiatimes". Femina Miss India.
  56. ↑ Hungama, Bollywood (17 January 2014). ""Miss Lovely would come as a shock" – Niharika Singh : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama".
  57. ↑ "Meet Niharika 'Miss Lovely' Singh". 13 January 2014.
  58. ↑ "Beauty queens at Cannes Film Festival over the years – BeautyPageants".
  59. ↑ "बर्लिनाले में दिखा भारत की 'मिस लवली' का टैलेंट | DW | 17 February 2016". Deutsche Welle.
  60. ↑ Desk, India com Education. "10 Indian artistes chosen for Berlinale Talents – India.com". www.india.com.
  61. ↑ "Meet miss lovely". www.telegraphindia.com.
  62. ↑ "Nawaz and Niharika pair up again". 25 March 2013.
  63. ↑ "Bappaditya Bandopadhyay's Sohra Bridge (2016): the last bow of a brilliant film-maker". WBRi Washington Bangla Radio USA.
  64. ↑ "The Times Group". epaperbeta.timesofindia.com.
  65. ↑ "Sohra Bridge". 12 March 2016.
  66. ↑ "Need perspective of unheard voices: Film company launches paid internship for Dalit students". The New Indian Express.
  67. ↑ Joshi, Namrata (20 November 2019). "Diversity film training programme launched for the Dalit Bahujan and Adivasi community". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  68. ↑ "Dreamy dulha writes Shalini Sharma". DNA India.
  69. ↑ "Niharika arrives to rousing welcome". Zee News. 2 May 2005.
  70. ↑ "Outlook India Photo Gallery". Outlookindia.
  71. ↑ "Life Delhi / Talk Of The Town : All for a good cause". The Hindu. 13 May 2005. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  72. ↑ TRIPATHI, PURNIMA S. (14 July 2005). "For a law on blood banks". Frontline.
  73. ↑ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh".
  74. ↑ "Ms India: Wannabe model fakes it". News18.
  75. ↑ "Nawazuddin DISRESPECTING a woman to sell his book, says Niharika Singh". ABP Live. 24 October 2017.
  76. ↑ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui's book written without knowledge or consent: Niharika Singh responds". 24 October 2017.
  77. ↑ "Niharika Singh on alleged affair with Nawazuddin Siddiqui: He wants to sell his book, he is manipulating a fleeting relationship". 24 October 2017.
  78. ↑ "Niharika Singh lashes back at Nawazuddin Siddiqui".
  79. ↑ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui Is Lying, Says Ex Sunita Rajwar After He Sends Legal Notice". NDTV.com.
  80. ↑ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui's book is extraordinary lies: After Niharika Singh, his first girlfriend slams him". India Today. 28 October 2017.
  81. ↑ jha, subhash k (4 November 2017). "Asha Parekh slams Nawaz for his tell-all biography". Deccan Chronicle.
  82. ↑ Kannan, Sushumna (21 November 2018). "Niharika Singh's #MeToo Story Makes Us Think Of The Precondition To Consenting".
  83. ↑ "Locker room banter gift-wrapped in sordid quotes: The issue with Nawazuddin Siddiqui's version of his affairs". 26 October 2017.
  84. ↑ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui". Bollywood Hungama.
  85. ↑ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui Withdraws Biography. Apologises For 'Hurting Sentiments'". NDTV.com.
  86. ↑ "Why Nawazuddin Siddiqui Decided To Withdraw His Biography Titled An Ordinary Life: A Memoir". NDTV.com.
  87. ↑ "Is Nawazuddin Siddiqui relying on organised social media trolling against Niharika Singh? Here are clues". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd.
  88. ↑ Sarkar, Suparno (31 October 2017). "Nawazuddin Siddiqui withdrew memoir but damage to Niharika Singh has already been done, fume Twitterati". www.ibtimes.co.in.
  89. ↑ "#ReportingToRemember the media and the Hindi film fraternity for blaming & shaming Niharika Singh". Blank Noise.
  90. ↑ "Me Too: Why many women don't speak out about sexual abuse 'immediately'". The News Minute. 17 November 2018.
  91. ↑ "Niharika Singh shares her #MeToo account: Neo-liberal, savarna feminism isn't going to liberate anyone- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. 10 November 2018.
  92. ↑ "Tattooed my name on his chest: Niharika Singh remembers 'abusive' husband of flight attendant who committed suicide". DNA India. 10 November 2018.
  93. ↑ "Niharika Singh: Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a sexually repressed man with toxic male entitlement". India Today. 10 November 2018.
  94. ↑ "Former Miss India Niharika Singh slams Nandita das and Kavita Krishnan for 'enabling' sexual predators".
  95. ↑ "Former Miss India Niharika Singh Pens Powerful Post On #MeToo, Names Nawazuddin Siddiqui". Storypick. 10 November 2018.
  96. ↑ "Niharika Singh Calls Nawazuddin a 'Sexually Repressed Indian Man'". TheQuint. 10 November 2018.
  97. ↑ "Dalit Film Festival Discusses the Role of Caste in Setting Cultural Sensibilities". The Wire.
  98. ↑ "'Dalit Film Festival is not just a festival, it's a movement'". Newslaundry.
  99. ↑ "First Dalit Film Festival in US Shortlists Kaala and Masaan Among Other Films by Dalit Filmmakers". News18. 12 February 2019.
  100. ↑ "DALIFF: A film and cultural festival celebrating Dalit art, life and pride". March 2019.
  101. ↑ "Movie review: Miss Lovely will make you uncomfortable". Hindustan Times. 17 January 2014.
  102. ↑ Kumar, Anuj (18 January 2014). "Miss Lovely: Behind the scenes – The Hindu". The Hindu.
  103. ↑ "Miss India Niharika Singh to debut opposite Himesh Reshammiya". 24 March 2008.
  104. ↑ "Himesh ready for a image makeover". 30 October 2007.
  105. ↑ "Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a breather in this lyrical film about love, longing".
  106. ↑ "Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa Review: Nawazuddin is sublime in this profound character piece".
  107. ↑ "Sohra Bridge". 12 March 2016.
  108. ↑ "Sohra Bridge, memories of another day". 24 November 2015.
  109. ↑ Kumar, Anuj (10 March 2018). "The guide to hell – The Hindu". The Hindu.
  110. ↑ "Something Wicked This Way Comes". 26 March 2018.
  111. ↑ a.chatterji, shoma (30 May 2021). "Ahaan – A Film Full of Love". www.thecitizen.in.
  112. ↑ "Ahaan Review: Lead Actor Abuli Mamaji, Who Has Down Syndrome, Lends The Film Authenticity". NDTV.com.
  113. ↑ "21st Annual Life OK Screen Awards nominations". 8 January 2015.
  114. ↑ "Screen Awards 2015: Winner for Most Promising Newcomer (Female) – Patralekha for Citylights". 14 January 2015.
  115. ↑ "Screen Awards 2015 Nominations".
  116. ↑ "IBNLive Movie Awards: Niharika Singh beats Kriti Sanon to win the Best Female Debut Award for 'Miss Lovely'". www.news18.com. 20 April 2015.

External linksEdit

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Jyoti Brahmin 		Miss Earth India
2005 		Succeeded by
Amruta Patki

Template:Miss Earth 2005 delegates

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