Nargis Fakhri rose to national fame overnight when she appeared as the female lead in Imtiaz Ali’s musical blockbuster Rockstar. In the film, she was cast opposite Ranbir Kapoor and the movie, in addition to being a box office success, has attained a cult status over the years. While for many this would have been a dream debut, actress Nargis Fakhri said that she had little to no knowledge of Indian films before her debut. In an interview with Instant Bollywood, she said that the only thing she knew about India was that she loved the cuisine. Admitting that she had not seen Indian films before Rockstar, she said: “The only thing I knew about India is that I loved ras malai and I loved Indian food. That is all I could remember or relate to. Obviously, there is so much more to the culture.”
When asked whether she kept in touch with Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir Kapoor and the rest of the team, she said: “I wish people ‘happy birthday’, say hello but everyone is very busy. People have families, I am travelling all over the world all the time. So, I think in this industry it is hard to keep in touch the way you would like to because everyone is on the move. But I think you make a friendship where no matter when you meet again, it is like nothing…and you can start from where you left off.
In one of her old interviews, Nargis Fakhri spoke about how she dealt with the criticism she received for her performance in Rockstar. “After Rockstar, it was tough because all the reviews were so negative that it was very traumatising. I never wanted to be an actress. I didn’t even ask for this. It was horrible and so dramatic,” said Nargis, adding, “Now whatever people say, it doesn’t affect me in that way because after Rockstar, it was so dramatic… So now, I don’t care. But I am so proud of that film.”
In addition to Rockstar, Nargis Fakhri is known for her work in films such as Madras Cafe, Main Tera Hero, Azhar, Housefull 3, Banjo and 5 Weddings. She was last seen in the film Shiv Shastri Balboa.