The pixie-like Amrita Rao, who gained instant fame with the teenage romance, Ishq Vishk, is looking forward to big releases this summer.

She stammered ‘Sh sh sugar’ for Bru and surreptitiously ate a chocolate in her karva chauth finery for Perk. Amongst the many who noticed Amrita Rao in these two commercials were Tips Films, Raj Kanwar and Raj Kumar Santoshi. Tips, hunting for budding talent, signed her for their Artist Management programme, planning Ishq Vishk as her debut release. When that got delayed, she took up Raj Kanwar’s Ab Ke Baras, the launch pad for yet another newcomer, Arya Babbar, son of actor-turned politician, Raj Babbar. “We both had double roles. It was a challenging film for newcomers,” reminisces Rao, “but it was not promoted well.” In fact, it sank without as much as a ripple. Meanwhile, Rajkumar Santoshi selected her to play the small but pivotal role of Bhagat Singh’s fiancée in his epic biopic, Legend of Bhagat Singh. The film was critically acclaimed but did not set the box office on fire.

How did she cope with failure so early in her career? “When Ab Ke Baras flopped, I had no time to mourn as …Bhagat Singh was happening; and, whatever the fate of the films, with two back-to-back releases, at least the media became aware of a girl called Amrita Rao,” she says pragmatically. Then, the much-delayed Ishq Vishk was finally released, becoming the rank outsider that galloped to the winner’s post in 2003. “Ishq Vishk was a complete picnic,” she enthuses. “All of us were new, including director, Ken Ghosh and we had a ball making the film. And for once,” she adds cheekily, “the actors playing college kids actually looked like students!” The film catapulted her to instant fame and recognition (she won a film glossy’s Superstar of Tomorrow Award).

Rao’s next release is Farah Khan’s directorial debut – Main Hoon Naa. “Gauri (Shah Rukh) Khan saw the Bru commercial and called Farah. When I met Farah all she said was, ‘Can you dance?’ and asked me to come for a dance rehearsal. I obviously passed,” she grins, “because the next thing I knew I was meeting Shah Rukh Khan and being signed to play opposite Zayed (Sanjay and Zarine Khan’s debutant son).”

Another release she’s looking forward to is Milan Luthria’s Deewar, a mucho macho film with Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna. “It’s a small role,” she admits,“but it’s challenging to make my presence felt amongst so many brilliant actors.” She’s also had a blast doing Indra Kumar’s comedy, Masti. “None of us knew each other before we started shooting, yet on the first day it was like a college reunion. We all met as if we were long lost friends. There was great energy throughout the shooting.”

At the moment she’s chilling out, catching up with friends and films and surprisingly has no new film on hand. “Farah told me to wait till Main Hoon Naa releases,” she says simply. Her priorities are clear. “I prefer to do little work, but quality stuff. I’d rather be known for the few films I’ve done in my life than go on a signing spree and yet not be known at all.”