Anara Gupta aspires to become like Jethmalani

Jammu, Dec 24: Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani may have earned brickbats and been at the receiving end in the Jessica Lall murder case recently for defending the person who was on the ''wrong side of the law'', but he still has an unexpected taker who spares no efforts in showering encomia on him and wants to follow in his footsteps.

''Nargis and Meena Kumari were my idols, but during the past three years everything has changed. Now, prominent lawyer Ram Jethmalani is my idol,'' former Miss Jammu Anara Gupta, who was accused in an infamous porn CD case, said while asserting that she wanted to sport a black robe.

For the beauty queen, who won the 'Miss Jammu' crown in 2001, life has changed drastically. After getting embroiled in legal battles, she says her attitude towards life has changed dramatically.

In spite of getting a major break in Bollywood, Anara says she will not make acting her career because her aim is to stand in a court room in a black-and-white attire. ''I want to serve society as a lawyer,'' she said.

Anara plays the lead role in Director-Producer K K Yadav's forthcoming trilingual, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, film 'Anara', which is based on her own life.

Anara, who stays in one-room rental accommodation at a congested Rehari Mohalla in Old Jammu city, said, ''I began acting during my schooldays and have participated in various plays. I was also associated with 'NatRang' (theatre) but during the past three years, everything has changed. When you are living in such a society where truth needs to be proved then you have to be an advocate, otherwise you can't survive. Next year, I will start my law course,'' she said with a smile.

Apparently annoyed with the police, she said, '' The police is that organisation which has absolute executive power... and can spoil the career of anybody.'' ''It has also spoilt my career, my image, and ultimately changed my ambition, my priorities, and everything. This is not the way a girl like me would have wanted to become a celebrity, but this is how destiny planned it for me,'' she said.

About her forthcoming film, Anara Gupta said, ''The movie, which will be released sometime in coming February, highlights the police as the main villain of society.'' The film is based on actual incidents in Anara's life. ''It is a real story of a simple girl who gets embroiled in a sex scandal that makes her a social outcast,'' she said.

''My film is a crusade against injustice. It does not project me as a sexy girl. I have been brought up with social values and I am not comfortable doing sexy roles,'' she added.

Talking to sources from Mumbai, Director-Producer K K Yadav said the Censor Board had given its clearance to the movie and the launching of music cassettes and CDs was under process.

Noted actress Smriti Jaykar essays the role of Anara's mother while Yudhishthir-fame Gajendra Chauhan acts as her onscreen father.

Mukesh Tewari essays the role of the main villain as a police officer. Anuradha Podwal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal and Abhijeet lend their voices to the music composed by Dileep Tahir and Naresh Kumar.

Although it revolves around a pornography scandal, the movie is not a cheap flick, the director asserted.

UNI