Indian Hollywood actress Aneesha Madhok talks about her favourite city Lucknow

MUMBAI: She was born in Kenya, grew up in New Delhi, and is now making her Hollywood debut in a lead role with "Bully High". But even after traveling to over 35 countries, Aneesha Madhok is in love with "Nawabon ka Shahar" Lucknow. She even goes on to say that she falls in love with the city a little more every time she visits it.

She mentioned that the city has inspired her love for poetry and said, "I love traveling around India. My favorite city in India is Lucknow. It’s a treat to my eyes to walk in Awadh and see historical buildings and exquisite shops with beautiful chikankari suits and vibrant jewellery. Every time I go to Lucknow, thanks to my parents’ friends Muzzafar Ali (director of 'Umrao Jaan') and Meera Ali, I get the opportunity to explore their palace and eat homemade Lucknowi biryani. I also love discussing shayaris with people from Lucknow."

"The architecture, overall design of the city, the clothes, art and literature speak to my soul. Everytime I go to Lucknow I fall in love with it more and will use my art to promote it to the west. After having traveled almost the world, India is not just a country but the world for me, as it enlivens the depth of my being."

Thanks to her father Aneesha is fluent in seven languages around the world which are English, Hindi, Spanish, Farsi, Greek, Hebrew, and Punjabi.  

Revealing more about herself, she said, "My father, Vikram Madhok is the managing director of Abercrombie and Kent - India, which is a luxury travel company. Thanks to my parents I have had the opportunity to travel to thirty-five countries now. That’s why I was born in Kenya and then grew up in New Delhi. And at a young age I was able to speak seven languages fluently - English, Hindi, Spanish, Farsi, Greek, Hebrew, and Punjabi."

Wow, right?

Aneesha studied theatre at the University of Southern California. It was while performing a play called "Infidel" post her graduation that she was spotted by director Bill McAdams Jr. and was cast as the main lead of "Bully High". The movie is about an Indian Muslim girl who gets bullied in an American high school but defeats violence with love.