Siddhu wanted Shruti: Nitya Menen

Nitya Menen’s bubbly act in her successful debut, “Ala Modalaindi,” which wowed the Telugu audiences, is not too far removed from her real life persona.
The spirited girl, who is on a career high, with two bi-linguals — “Sega” and “180” — ready to release, however, hates being called the next Genelia D’Souza. “I don’t like being compared to Genelia or anyone else. It undermines my individuality,” says Nitya.
But with her uncanny resemblance to the Late Soundarya, more comparisons are inevitable. “Yes, I’m constantly told that I look like Soundarya. But that’s a comparison I don’t mind. She had a special place in the hearts of fans,” she adds.
What sets Nitya apart however, from her Tollywood contemporaries, is the fact that she chooses to be extra choosy in an industry where a new female lead is launched with every other movie. The actress recently refused to do a movie with Venkatesh as she felt she wouldn’t suit the role.
“I will not accept a role just because a big hero stars in it. I am not here to merely dance, run around trees and be a glam doll. I will not take up the project unless I matter in the movie. For Venkatesh’s film, I felt we had too much of an age difference, the pairing wouldn’t look good on screen. So, I refused the film,” says Nitya, who says that acting never figured in her scheme of things for life.
“I never wanted to be an actress. After I finished my degree in Mass Communication in Manipal, I enrolled for a cinematography course in Pune Film Institute. That is when Nandini Reddy, the director of “Ala Modalaindi,” convinced me to act. I don’t enjoy public attention. I don’t like being recognised, being clicked or being written about. But then it is destiny. I am just going with the flow,” adds the pretty lass.
Nitya was also supposed to act with Siddharth again in his next movie “Oh My Friend”. Her name was almost announced, before Shruti Haasan replaced her in the last minute.What went wrong? “It’s simple. Siddharth wanted Shruti in the film,” she quips.
What many don’t know is that Nitya Menen is a great singer too. She crooned two songs for “Ala Modalaindi.” “I am not a trained singer, but I love to sing. When Nandini once learnt that singing makes me happy, she decided to give me two songs in the film. Singing will always be my first love,” says the actress.
She may have many movies on her plate now, but Nitya says her lifestyle hasn’t changed one bit. “I hail from a middle-class family and my parents are government employees.We don’t even have a car yet. I love my life of normalcy. There are a few people now, who suddenly call up and want to befriend me, but I know where it is coming from,” Nitya signs off.