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Niharika Singh

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Niharika Singh
Niharika Singh in 2019
Born
New Delhi, India
EducationShri Ram College of Commerce (dropout)
OccupationActress • Filmmaker
Beauty pageant titleholder
TitleMiss Earth India 2005
Major
competition(s)		Femina Miss India, Miss Earth 2005

Niharika Singh is an actress, filmmaker and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Earth India and represented India at Miss Earth 2005. She made her acting debut with the critically acclaimed drama Miss Lovely which competed in Un Certain Regard at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[1][2] Niharika was selected for Berlinale Talents in 2016.[3][4]

Early life

[edit]

Born on 31 August 1982 in New Delhi, Niharika mostly spent her childhood in various north Indian towns and hill stations, moving homes every few years. Her father worked in the Tourism department for Uttar Pradesh & later Uttarakhand state government, her mother ran a design institute in New Delhi and she is the eldest of 2 sisters. She did her major part of schooling in an all-girls boarding school in Nainital.[5]

Career

[edit]

Modeling & Pageantry (1999 – 2006)

[edit]

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 in 2003.[6]

Singh participated in Femina Miss India in 2005 and finished third, winning the title of Miss Earth India along with subtitles for Miss Photogenic and Miss Beautiful Hair & was sent to represent India at Miss Earth 2005 held in the Philippines.[7][8][9][10][11][12] She appeared in several television commercials and ad 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.[13][14] Singh featured in Times of India's 2005 list of Most Desirable Women and continued her modeling career until she started getting offers to act in Bollywood films.[15][16][17][18][19][20]

Acting in Film (2006 – 2019)

[edit]

Niharika's film career began in 2006 when she signed a 10-film contract with Bollywood director Raj Kanwar under his banner Inderjit Films.[21][22][23] 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.[24][25][26][27] Niharika attended an acting course with Barry John (theatre director) before filming A New Love Ishtory.[28] 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.[29] Singh started shooting for her second film Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh Mudh Mudh Ke[30] opposite Reshammiya which was shelved mid-way.[31][32][33]She also acted in a Kannada film Private Number directed by Anand Kumar (director) that never found a release.[34][35][36]

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.[37][38][39][40] The film competed in Un Certain Regard at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival[41][42]and won 2 awards at the 61st National Film Awards.[43][44][45] 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.[46][47][48][49][50][51][52] During the media interactions for Miss Lovely, Niharika mentioned she is attempting to write a memoir.[53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61]

Niharika rediscovered cinema after her experience with Cannes and other international festivals and she joined a course at the Film and Television Institute of India in 2013 to expand her understanding of the medium.[62][63][64][65] 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.[66][67]

Singh took a break from public life and made rare appearances in a few independently produced art house films over the next decade. She was seen in Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Hindi feature Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa that premiered at BFI London Film Festival,[68][69]Bappaditya Bandopadhyay's multi-lingual drama Sohra Bridge, which screened at the 46th International Film Festival of India,[70][71] 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.

Entrepreneurship & Filmmaking (2019 - present)

[edit]

In 2019, Singh joined Mumbai-based Future East as a director of the film production company.[72][73] She co-founded Future East Digital with filmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia[74] and creative director Amit Basak in 2020.

Niharika turned producer with the young-adult drama Class (season 1) for Netflix in 2023. The series explores a wide range of social issues affecting modern youth including casteism, child neglect, corruption, homophobia, religious discrimination, and income inequality in India.[75][76]

In media

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Singh was given a rousing welcome and declared the state guest in Uttarakhand after she was crowned Miss Earth India.[77][78][79] Additionally, 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.[80][81][82]

In 2007, a model from Benaras shot to fame by walking down the ramp impersonating Niharika Singh.[83]

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.[84][85][86][87] 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.[88][89][90] Veteran actress Asha Parekh showed her displeasure and said, "What Nawazuddin did to the ladies was not in good taste."[91][92][93] In a later interview, Siddiqui stated that "It was the biggest mistake of my life."[94][95][96][97]

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.[98] The piece went viral and was immediately picked up by all leading media publications and news channels in India.[99][100][101][102][103][104][105] Niharika was subsequently invited as a guest and speaker for the India Conference at Harvard University in 2019 as well as Columbia University & The New School for the inaugural DALIFF held in New York.[106][107][108][109][110]

Pageantry

[edit]
Year Pageant Organiser Title won Notes Refs
2005 Femina Miss India The Times Group Miss Earth India Also won subtitles for Miss Beautiful hair, Miss Photogenic [111]
2005 Miss Earth Carousel Productions Represented India [112]

Filmography

[edit]

Films

[edit]
Year Film Language Role(s) Notes Ref.
2012 Miss Lovely Hindi Pinky/ Sonika/ Pooja Nominated – Most Promising Newcomer – Screen Awards [113]
[114]
2013 A New Love Ishtory Hindi Kamya Dhanraj [115]
2013 Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa Hindi Ayesha [116]
[117]
2016 Sohra Bridge English, Bengali, Assamese, Khasi Ria [118]
2018 The Field Guide to Evil English, Bengali Sadhavi Anthology; Segment – Palace of Horrors [119]
[120]
2019 Ahaan Hindi Anu [121]
[122]

Television / Web

[edit]
Year Title Credit Platform Notes Refs
2023 Class Producer Netflix (Season 1) - 8 episodes [123]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Film Result Refs
2015 Screen Awards Most Promising Newcomer - Female Miss Lovely Nominated [124][125][126]
2015 IBNLive Movie Awards Best Female Debut Miss Lovely Won [127]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Former Miss India Earth Niharika Singh as 'Miss Lovely' – BeautyPageants". Femina Miss India.
  2. ^ "Miss Lovely".
  3. ^ "Berlinale Talents – Niharika Singh". berlinale-talents.de.
  4. ^ https://www.femina.in/beauty-pageants/miss-india/niharika-singhs-remarkable-journey-that-began-with-her-win-at-miss-india/articleshow/110532194.cms
  5. ^ "In Conversation with Niharika Singh: Caste, Representation and Feminism in Bollywood". 8 August 2019.
  6. ^ "The Multifaceted Life of Niharika Singh". theknowculture.com. 22 May 2019. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Niharika Singh – Miss India – Bombay Times". Bombaytimes.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News".
  10. ^ https://m.rediff.com/news/2005/mar/28sld5.htm
  11. ^ https://m.rediff.com/movies/2005/mar/30sld04.htm
  12. ^ https://timescontent.timesgroup.com/photo/fashion/Niharika-Singh/30203
  13. ^ "Zoom's channel driver 'Pond's Banungi Main Miss India' premieres 22 February". Indian Television Dot Com. 18 February 2006.
  14. ^ "Zoom's channel driver 'Pond's Banungi Main Miss India' premieres 22 February". 18 February 2006.
  15. ^ "I am not hot and sexy". Hindustan Times. 18 January 2006.
  16. ^ "'I am sweet, not sexy' | undefined News". The Times of India. 23 December 2005.
  17. ^ "Niharika Singh is the most desirable woman no. 40.mp4 – video Dailymotion". Dailymotion. 14 January 2013.
  18. ^ "Beauty Queens Who Turned To Bollywood". The Times of India. 9 January 2014.
  19. ^ https://thehinduimages.com/details-page.php?id=6481166
  20. ^ https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa2nfy
  21. ^ "Some faces bound to go places in Bollywood". Zee News. 11 March 2008.
  22. ^ "New face of Bollywood". Gulf News. 31 December 2008.
  23. ^ "Too Many Talented New Faces A Good Year For BollyWood So Far – XciteFun.net". forum.xcitefun.net.
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  25. ^ "Blogger". Google.
  26. ^ "I play a female Vijay Mallya!: Niharika". The Times of India. 9 March 2008.
  27. ^ "Debutante Niharika finds new love post break-up". Hindustan Times. 25 February 2009.
  28. ^ "Niharika's New Love Ishtory - Times of India". The Times of India. 25 February 2009.
  29. ^ "Niharika Singh opens up about her experiences – Times of India ►". The Times of India. 11 November 2018.
  30. ^ "Exclusive: Himesh romances two hot women". Sify. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021.
  31. ^ "We aren't cats and rats, we're girls: Niharika". Hindustan Times. 7 May 2008.
  32. ^ "We aren't cats and rats: Niharika Singh". DNA India.
  33. ^ https://m.rediff.com/movies/2008/mar/27sl4.htm
  34. ^ "Beauty belongs in cinema: Niharika". The Times of India. 21 May 2010.
  35. ^ "No language restrictions!". Deccan Herald. 30 May 2010.
  36. ^ "A party for 'Private Number'". Deccan Herald. 20 May 2010.
  37. ^ Amrita Madhukalya (19 January 2014). "Meet Niharika Singh, Bollywood's new 'Miss Lovely'". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  38. ^ 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.
  39. ^ "I shivered after reading the script: Niharika Singh". The Times of India. 21 April 2012.
  40. ^ "Meet Niharika 'Miss Lovely' Singh". The Times of India. 13 January 2014.
  41. ^ https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-actress-niharika-singh-at-the-miss-lovely-film-photocall-at-the-65th-48896779.html
  42. ^ https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/medialibrary/niharika-singh-red-carpet-miss-lovely-fif-cb/
  43. ^ "'Miss Lovely ' at Cannes: Nawazuddin, Niharika steal the show". News18. 26 May 2012.
  44. ^ "There were more posters of Niharika than Ash in Cannes". Rediff.
  45. ^ "The Sunday Tribune – Spectrum". The Tribune.
  46. ^ Udasi, Harishikaa (18 January 2014). "Playing Miss Lovely". The Hindu.
  47. ^ "Niharika Singh Archives".
  48. ^ coutinho, natasha (14 January 2014). "Isn't she lovely?". Deccan Chronicle.
  49. ^ "It's brave to make a film like 'Miss Lovely': Niharika Singh". stars.topnews.in. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  50. ^ Dupont, Joan (25 May 2012). "Mumbai in the Bad Old Days". The New York Times.
  51. ^ "Aren't we all good and bad: Niharika Singh – Beauty Pageants – Indiatimes". Femina Miss India.
  52. ^ "From Miss India to Miss Lovely". 16 January 2014.
  53. ^ "Unemployed by choice". The Pioneer.
  54. ^ "Not lovely: What Niharika dislikes about bollywood!". Free Press Journal.
  55. ^ "Miss lovely backstory". The Telegraph (India).
  56. ^ "I Am A Mad Nomad: Meeting 'Miss Lovely' Niharika Singh". santabanta.com.
  57. ^ "Student of cinema". The Indian Express. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  58. ^ "Meet miss lovely". The Telegraph (India). 14 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  59. ^ Kumar, Anuj (18 January 2014). "Miss Lovely: Behind the scenes". The Hindu.
  60. ^ "PIX: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Niharika visit the Rediff office". Rediff.
  61. ^ "I didn't even know Nawaz says Miss Lovely Niharika". Hindustan Times. 6 January 2014.
  62. ^ "Niharika Singh talks about her Cannes Journey – Beauty Pageants – Indiatimes". Femina Miss India.
  63. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (17 January 2014). ""Miss Lovely would come as a shock" – Niharika Singh : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama.
  64. ^ "Meet Niharika 'Miss Lovely' Singh". 13 January 2014.
  65. ^ "Beauty queens at Cannes Film Festival over the years". femina.in.
  66. ^ "बर्लिनाले में दिखा भारत की 'मिस लवली' का टैलेंट | 17 February 2016". Deutsche Welle.
  67. ^ https://www.india.com/education/10-indian-artistes-chosen-for-berlinale-talents-1572362/
  68. ^ "Meet miss lovely". The Telegraph (India).
  69. ^ "Nawaz and Niharika pair up again". 25 March 2013.
  70. ^ "Bappaditya Bandopadhyay's Sohra Bridge (2016): the last bow of a brilliant film-maker". WBRi Washington Bangla Radio USA. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  71. ^ "The Times Group". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019.
  72. ^ "Need perspective of unheard voices: Film company launches paid internship for Dalit students". The New Indian Express.
  73. ^ Joshi, Namrata (20 November 2019). "Diversity film training programme launched for the Dalit Bahujan and Adivasi community". The Hindu.
  74. ^ "Dreamy dulha writes Shalini Sharma". DNA India.
  75. ^ "6 Binge-Worthy Shows That You Just Cannot Miss". Outlook India.
  76. ^ "The making of 'Class', Netflix's first Indian adaptation of a foreign title". 4 March 2023.
  77. ^ "Niharika arrives to rousing welcome". Zee News. 2 May 2005.
  78. ^ "Outlook India Photo Gallery". Outlookindia.
  79. ^ "देहरादून- निहारिका सिंह को उत्तराखंड में मिला ये खास सम्मान, मेहनत से ऐसे कमाया देशभर में नाम". 16 June 2021.
  80. ^ "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.
  81. ^ TRIPATHI, PURNIMA S. (14 July 2005). "For a law on blood banks". Frontline.
  82. ^ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh".
  83. ^ "Ms India: Wannabe model fakes it". News18.
  84. ^ "Nawazuddin DISRESPECTING a woman to sell his book, says Niharika Singh". ABP Live. 24 October 2017.
  85. ^ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui's book written without knowledge or consent: Niharika Singh responds". 24 October 2017.
  86. ^ "Niharika Singh on alleged affair with Nawazuddin Siddiqui: He wants to sell his book, he is manipulating a fleeting relationship". 24 October 2017.
  87. ^ "Niharika Singh lashes back at Nawazuddin Siddiqui". Free Press Journal.
  88. ^ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui's memoir, An Ordinary Life, pulped". Mumbai Mirror.
  89. ^ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui Is Lying, Says Ex Sunita Rajwar After He Sends Legal Notice". NDTV.com.
  90. ^ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui's book is extraordinary lies: After Niharika Singh, his first girlfriend slams him". India Today. 28 October 2017.
  91. ^ jha, subhash k (4 November 2017). "Asha Parekh slams Nawaz for his tell-all biography". Deccan Chronicle.
  92. ^ Kannan, Sushumna (21 November 2018). "Niharika Singh's #MeToo Story Makes Us Think Of The Precondition To Consenting".
  93. ^ "Locker room banter gift-wrapped in sordid quotes: The issue with Nawazuddin Siddiqui's version of his affairs". 26 October 2017.
  94. ^ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui". Bollywood Hungama.
  95. ^ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui Withdraws Biography. Apologises For 'Hurting Sentiments'". NDTV.com.
  96. ^ "Why Nawazuddin Siddiqui Decided To Withdraw His Biography Titled An Ordinary Life: A Memoir". NDTV.com.
  97. ^ "Is Nawazuddin Siddiqui relying on organised social media trolling against Niharika Singh? Here are clues". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd.
  98. ^ "#ReportingToRemember the media and the Hindi film fraternity for blaming & shaming Niharika Singh". Blank Noise. 26 May 2021.
  99. ^ "Me Too: Why many women don't speak out about sexual abuse 'immediately'". The News Minute. 17 November 2018.
  100. ^ "Niharika Singh shares her #MeToo account: Neo-liberal, savarna feminism isn't going to liberate anyone". Firstpost. 10 November 2018.
  101. ^ "Tattooed my name on his chest: Niharika Singh remembers 'abusive' husband of flight attendant who committed suicide". DNA India. 10 November 2018.
  102. ^ "Niharika Singh: Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a sexually repressed man with toxic male entitlement". India Today. 10 November 2018.
  103. ^ "Former Miss India Niharika Singh slams Nandita Das and Kavita Krishnan for 'enabling' sexual predators". DNA India.
  104. ^ "Former Miss India Niharika Singh Pens Powerful Post On #MeToo, Names Nawazuddin Siddiqui". Storypick. 10 November 2018.
  105. ^ "Niharika Singh Calls Nawazuddin a 'Sexually Repressed Indian Man'". TheQuint. 10 November 2018.
  106. ^ "Dalit Film Festival Discusses the Role of Caste in Setting Cultural Sensibilities". The Wire.
  107. ^ "'Dalit Film Festival is not just a festival, it's a movement'". Newslaundry. 27 February 2019.
  108. ^ "First Dalit Film Festival in US Shortlists Kaala and Masaan Among Other Films by Dalit Filmmakers". News18. 12 February 2019.
  109. ^ "DALIFF: A film and cultural festival celebrating Dalit art, life and pride". March 2019.
  110. ^ "Niharika Singh set to speak at Harvard now". 14 February 2019.
  111. ^ "rediff.com:Ponds Femina Miss India 2005". Rediff.com.
  112. ^ "rediff.com: India's newest queens". Rediff.com.
  113. ^ "Movie review: Miss Lovely will make you uncomfortable". Hindustan Times. 17 January 2014.
  114. ^ Kumar, Anuj (18 January 2014). "Miss Lovely: Behind the scenes – The Hindu". The Hindu.
  115. ^ "Miss India Niharika Singh to debut opposite Himesh Reshammiya". 24 March 2008.
  116. ^ "Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa review: Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a breather in this lyrical film about love, longing". Asianet News Network PVT Ltd.
  117. ^ "Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa Review: Nawazuddin is sublime in this profound character piece". Archived from the original on 20 November 2020.
  118. ^ "Sohra Bridge, memories of another day". 24 November 2015.
  119. ^ Kumar, Anuj (10 March 2018). "The guide to hell – The Hindu". The Hindu.
  120. ^ "Something Wicked This Way Comes". 26 March 2018.
  121. ^ a.chatterji, shoma (30 May 2021). "Ahaan – A Film Full of Love". thecitizen.in.
  122. ^ "Ahaan Review: Lead Actor Abuli Mamaji, Who Has Down Syndrome, Lends The Film Authenticity". NDTV.com.
  123. ^ "Six binge-worthy shows that you just cannot miss!". 13 February 2023.
  124. ^ "21st Annual Life OK Screen Awards nominations". 8 January 2015.
  125. ^ "Screen Awards 2015: Winner for Most Promising Newcomer (Female) – Patralekha for Citylights". 14 January 2015.
  126. ^ "Screen Awards 2015 Nominations". 10 January 2015.
  127. ^ "IBNLive Movie Awards: Niharika Singh beats Kriti Sanon to win the Best Female Debut Award for 'Miss Lovely'". news18.com. 20 April 2015.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Jyoti Brahmin
 Miss Earth India
2005 		Succeeded by

Media related to Niharika Singh at Wikimedia Commons

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