Anara Gupta

A decade after being visited by notoriety, Anara Gupta has found fame and fortune in the world of Bhojpuri films. In 2001, Gupta was crowned Miss Jammu and then in 2004, a CD purporting to feature her in a blue film was confiscated by the police. It landed her mother and brothers in jail. Gupta had been accused of being involved in prostitution and had in turn alleged that Narinder Kohli, a cable operator,  had raped and forcibly filmed her. She had also charged the police with torturing her and taking objectionable photographs.

Influential politicians were believed to have been involved, as were three police officials, who were found to be guilty and were suspended. But when the film was examined by Hyderabad’s forensic lab, the girl in it was found to be someone else. Gupta then approached the National Human Rights Commission and the National Women’s Commission. She says: “I have lodged a defamation case against the Jammu and Kashmir government demanding one crore rupees as compensation. ”

In the interim, Gupta decided to try her luck in Mumbai. She starred in a serial, Sulagti Raahein, and landed her first film, the eponymously titled Miss Anara which didn't do well. Bhojpuri films were her next stop, and she made it big there with a string of hits that included Vidhata, Rang De Basanti Chola, Hamar Lalkaar, Hum Hai Munna Bhaiya and Tezaab. More films are on the floor.

When asked whether she found it  difficult to understand Bhojpuri, Gupta admits: “Being from Kashmir, I did not even know there was a language called Bhojpuri. I learnt it on the job. Now people think I am from Uttar Pradesh.”

Gupta is now busy with the dance reality show Nach nachaiya, dhoom machaiya on Mahua TV. “It’s all consuming. There is no time to think of anything else. I am a favourite of the judges (Ganesh Acharya, Sudha Chandran and Kanu Mukherjee). They are expecting a lot from me,” says Gupta, who obviously sees herself as the winner of the show (which started with 10 heroines, of which two have been eliminated).

She is also excited about the November launch of her Hindi film Deewana Crazy Hai, directed by Iqbal Baksh. “I am pitted against a new hero, but known names like Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz and Yana Gupta make up the rest of the cast,” she says. While Gupta nurses dreams of becoming a Hindi film heroine, she is also hopeful of getting justice.