Nia Sharma has a big reason to celebrate. Wouldn’t you if you were ranked No. 3 on the Sexiest Asian Woman list? The time is right to catch-up with Nia, so we did.
Excerpts from the conversation that followed:
You’re not only still holding onto the ‘Sexiest TV Star’ title, but you have also climbed to the No. 3 spot on the Sexiest Asian Woman list...
Yes, it’s unbelievable! I was the first TV actress to even crack the Sexiest Asian Woman List in 2012. No one knew about it at that time but my name was always there. With due respect to them, Drashti Dhami and Sanaya Irani have a huge fan-following, so beating them and standing at the No 3 position is such a big achievement. I give my fans the credit for this.
Did you expect you’ll come up to No 3, almost breathing down the necks of Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra?
Not at all, I was happy and content when I was at No. 7 and No. 6 all these years. For me, being in the Top 10 is a big deal in itself. So No. 3 actually came like a big surprise to me, which is why I am happily flaunting my success on Instagram and other social platforms.
Image Source: Instagram/niasharma90
But do you agree that you are the ‘Sexiest TV Star’? What’s the feedback you get from the people close to you?
No one in my friend circle finds me sexy. In fact, they find me funny. It’s got more to do with my fans and the fan activity on my Instagram and Twitter accounts. They do various polls and give me such tags. I don’t think I am sexy at all.
Do you make a conscious effort to ‘look’ sexy?
Yes, I do that every day! I was not born sexy with a strikingly beautiful face. I have groomed myself a lot in the last 5 years to look the way I do.
I have changed a lot and frankly to groom oneself is not a bad thing to do.
I have put in a conscious effort to dress-up well- not to look hot and impress anyone, but just to groom myself.
You feel it’s your fans who have given you the ‘sexy’ tag, so do you also face situations where a crazy fan sends out naughty messages/mails to you?
Not naughty but annoying! I get crazy and stupid calls from some people, who I don’t think are my fans. Badtameezi karte hain.
Badtameezi in what way?
Like they don’t hang up, and keep calling again and again. I am sure a lot of people from my fraternity go through this, but it’s very annoying when random people call you and that’s why I don’t think they are my fans.
Image Source: Instagram/niasharma90
Body plays a very important role in fetching the ‘sexy’ tag. As you don’t consider yourself sexy, do you agree that you have a perfect 10 bod?
I don’t think so. My height doesn’t compliment my body. But overall I am fine with my body shape. Yes, I do a lot to maintain a flat tummy. I don’t work out in the gym but I starve sometimes, which is actually not a good habit.
So you just diet?
I avoid fats and I eat healthy.
Alcohol and cigarettes?
Alcohol and cigarettes plays a very big role in your fitness levels. I stay away from both.
Image Source: Instagram/niasharma90
You have been very casual about the hype which was made around your bikini picture which went viral...
It’s not a big deal for me. I was on a vacation in Dubai. I was not randomly at a beach in Mumbai wearing a bikini. Place also matters, right? I don’t understand what did people expect from me? I will not wear a burkha at a beach on a holiday!
Since you have strong opinions on things, it makes sense to ask you about the content produced on Indian television currently?
I would term it as ‘death of content’! Currently, it’s at its worst. What are we showing? Not to disregard the television industry as I am who I am today because of TV, but seriously the content needs to improve and how! We really need to buck-up and upgrade the content. We need to be proud of what we are doing rather than just say, ‘Oh I am just earning my living out of it’.
Image Source: Instagram/niasharma90
So, what content do you think should mushroom in our TV industry for it to be called as a sensible medium?
This is again a very controversial and debatable topic but you tell me, why is today’s youth glued to Netflix? It’s because they have a plethora of good content out there. Netflix has smart and intelligent content to offer. Why does our TV industry cater only to housewives? Just because the housewives want to kill their time, even the quality of the content has become ‘time-pass’. Why can’t our shows be more youth-centric? I am waiting for the time where our youth also starts watching Indian television.
The kind of shows you are talking about don’t garner TRPs which is a priority for the channels. Behad, for example, is a case in point?
You are right. I just love that show. Jennifer Winget is a fabulous actress and she is killing it in Behad. I love her character, it's one of the few characters I have liked in a really long time. She is nailing it to the T.
But then again, Behad is not doing so well. There is a hitch. How does one counter that? If the money is not coming in from a particular show due to low ratings, the channel gets impatient to pull off the show.
True, but it is really sad that Indian television is riding on TRPs. Of course if a channel is putting in money it wants its money to multiply, but I would just conclude saying that quality has suffered a lot in the TRP game.
Image Source: Instagram/niasharma90
Thumbnail Image Source: Instagram/niasharma90