Like her father, she had once aspired to be a doctor, but decided she preferred the arc lights instead.

Meet Jamshedpur girl Jugnu Ishiqui who has bagged a role in a Prakash Jha production, Crazy Cukkad Family, set for a January 16 release.

Directed by Ritesh Menon, this 'family-com' is what sultry-model-turned-actress Jugnu is banking on to catapult her to a different league.

'I'm the glamour quotient in this intelligent family entertainer,' she told The Telegraph.

What's the film about? 'Please watch it on Friday, I don't want to give anything away,' she said. 'But, it's packed with some great performances, good writing and humour that's, well, sharp.'

Refreshingly frank, 26-year-old Jugnu who dropped the name she was born with, Sumann Mishra, to make it big in the world of glamour, said: 'I feel lucky working in this Prakash Jha production and I hope my work in the film gets noticed. It's a fiercely competitive industry, there's a lot of struggle, but I am taking positive steps.'

Blessed with international looks, what has helped Jugnu stay positive despite the struggle is the fact that she has her feet firmly planted on the ground.

Daughter of Dr S.K. Mishra and homemaker Kamal Mishra, the girl from Dimna Road, Mango, did her ICSE schooling from DBMS English School, incidentally the alma mater of Bolly director Imtiaz Ali and star R. Madhavan, ISC from Motilal Nehru Public School and graduation from Sophia College for Women, Mumbai. She also excelled in sports as a national-level athlete.

But, bitten by the dancing bug - 'I just loved the grace of Rekha and Madhuri Dixit', she laughs over the phone - she also trained herself in kathak.

In Mumbai, as a student, she realised she wanted to give acting a shot. She enrolled herself with the Mumbai-based acting school Kreating Charakters to learn 'the grammer of emoting'. Then, she started out with stints in MTV and Channel V, modelling projects for jewellery and apparel brands and a photoshoot for Debonair magazine.

Gradually, she bagged some films such as A Game Called Relationship, Amma ki Boli, Sillunu Oru Sandhippu, the last in Telugu.

Right now, she is awaiting the release of Crazy Cukkad Family and also shooting her second film down south. Asked how she feels not yet bagging a lead role, she said: 'It's what you do during your screen time that matters. Your work must leave a mark in the hearts of the audiences.'

What's your message for Jugnu? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com