Article'Face and fight your fears: Anita'

Anita Hassanandani sure knows what she is talking about and cautiously treads the narrow path between speaking her mind and stirring up a controversy.

Soon to be seen as one of the 13 beauties on Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi on Colors, Anita is grateful that the shooting for the show is over. "We defied the fears of insects, height, deep water, fire, glass, et al. I was very scared of heights and water.

I would not say that I have overcome the fears completely but yes, I have managed pretty well in facing them. In one of the sequences, we were to jump off some 17-storey tall building, and not to say, I was petrified and started crying. Everytime I'd look down, I would start feeling giddy. It was after much cajoling from the other ladies and Akshay Kumar, that I did the stunt," she confesses.

The now-petite actress also reveals that her family and friends discouraged her from taking up the show and she herself was a lot hesitant in the beginning. "But then I decided to face the fears to overcome them. Having Akshay on the show was a big motivating factor. I was also scared of creepy-crawlies but he comforted me before I went ahead with a particular stunt involving such creatures," she adds.

Talking about what else is keeping her busy professionally, Anita says she has started shooting for Ekta Kapoor's much-hyped Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki. "Portraying Draupadi on screen is no small deal. And I am going to play a role that was played very well by Rupa Ganguly earlier." Does she have a plan in place to make sure her portrayal does not arouse feelings of dj vu? "Such a plan is not required. The look of this Mahaabhaarat is so different that there can't be any comparisons or similarities with the earlier one. To make sure that I know enough about the character, I am reading a lot of literature on Mahabharat and Draupadi," she clarifies.

"I am also unfazed by the controversies surrounding the show. The veteran actors who are saying that the show will not match the popularity of the earlier one, sound prejudiced and judgmental. Everyone in our team is working really hard to make a mark. I think anyone who wants to comment should wait until they have seen the first few episodes," she opines.

Over to the personal life. What kept her busy during her almost-3-year-long sabbatical from screen? "Oh! I indulged myself and attended a lot of classes," she smiles. Classes? "I learnt cooking and also took up Salsa and Jazz classes. I have never been a good dancer but am very passionate about it. Unfortunately, I could not complete the dance classes because of my professional commitments." So will we see her displaying her newly acquired dancing skills on a reality show soon? "Not as yet. I would not settle for a show that would not do justice to the various styles of dance. I was offered Jhalakk Dikhla Jaa 2, but could not take it up. But if it comes my way once again, I would gladly take the challenge," she says.

And how's boyfriend Eijaz Khan doing? "He is very well, thank you," she smiles and adds, "He is doing films now and is very happy. We spent quality time together when I took a break from work. Now both of us have got back to the grind but still manage to spend a little time together every now and then." "And yes, before you ask me, marriage is not on the cards right now!" she signs off.