a kid and how she encouraged her to become an actor. Menuka is working on Zhigrana at the moment and her film Resham Filili is also releasing soon. Rajita Dhungana caught up with the outgoing actress to talk about her acting career and her interests outside of it. Excerpts:

How did you decide to become an actor?

I used to enjoy acting as a kid and participated in drama competitions while at school. One of my school teachers took me to local television channels while I was in Chitwan and encouraged me to participate in Children’s theatre. After coming to Kathmandu, I started off by doing a music video and also gave auditions for films. I eventually got selected for a role in Ek Din Ek Raat. I also met Anup Baral on the set and joined Actor’s studio.

What do you enjoy the most, acting in theatre or film?

I enjoy acting in all its forms, regardless of the platform. In theatre, it’s all about getting on stage and giving your best in one shot. You also have to improvise immediately if there are any mistakes. But in films, it is very difficult to get the emotions right as there are many retakes.

Can you recall any incident when you’ve forgotten your lines?

There are many actually. But the one I remember now is a scene from Kafka—Ek Adhyaya. I had to enter the stage with a bag as I had to take out something from the inside and give it to Anup Baral, who was on stage. But during that scene, I realised that I entered the scene empty-handed. But then I just improvised and went inside to bring in a glass of water, and came out with the bag.

What kinds of films do you like to watch?

I love watching all kinds of movies. It just feels like living in someone else’s world. If the film is good enough, I don’t care which genre it belongs to. Christopher Nolan, Danny Boyle and Quentin Tarantino are some of my favourite filmmakers and I try not to miss any of their films. Talking about Bollywood, I like the works of Vishal Bhardwaj and Imtiaz Ali. I’m also a big fan of Hrithik Roashan and I’m waiting for his film Bang Bang to release.

Do you like the idea of travelling?

I’m really fond of travelling. For me, going to different destinations, meeting people, and tasting their food would be the best thing to do. I love visiting historical places mostly. I really enjoyed my trip to Sindhuli Gadi, and found the palace there to be beautiful. I’ve also been to all the museums in Kathmandu. I think there are so many things to learn from historical places. I want to visit all kinds of civilizations of the world in the future. Going to Paris is also on my wish list.

What do you like to eat the most? Are you a good cook?

I love all kinds of food items and don’t really make a fuss about what I eat. I mostly like to eat cake, pastries, and all sorts of sweet dishes.

But I’m not a good cook. I prefer eating more. I do try to cook now and then, especially when I’m watching TLC, but other than that, I only cook when I have to. I think I make good aalu-gravy.

Are you much conscious about fashion trends?

I do keep myself updated regarding what’s going on in the fashion industry. But it’s not possible to follow trends all the time. I think how a person carries herself is most important. I shop at random places and I am not conscious about brands at all. If I like anything, I don’t even mind buying it from the footpath.

Are you an adventurous person?

I think I am. I never say no when people come up with plans. I try to be fearless. Even if there are things that scare me, I just try to do it without giving it a second thought. I haven’t tried adventure sports so far but I’d love to bungy jump, sky dive and scuba dive someday.

Tell us about your upcoming plans.

For now, I want to experiment with my roles and try something I’ve never done before. Sometimes, when watching films, I am highly inspired by the characters I see. For instance, what Hilary Swank did in Boys Don’t Cry was awesome. I also want to be able to do something like that on screen. There is a long list of such characters actually. I’m also willing to learn the art of filmmaking so that I can become a successful filmmaker in the future.