It’s her first double role and she is delighted. “I’m really excited,” gushes Ayesha Takia on the phone from Mumbai. But moments later she admits that more than her twin presence in the movie what makes No Smoking special for her is Anurag Kashyap in the director’s chair.

“I have always tried to do different kind of films and No Smoking is a step in that direction,” she adds. Anurag’s film, produced by Vishal Bhardwaj and Kumar Mangat, finds Ayesha opposite John Abraham for the first time. It’s been less than a week of shooting but Anurag is already a big fan of Ayesha. “She is a natural,” he says. “Definitely the next Rani Mukherjee!”

And Ayesha is clear that a No Smoking won’t come along everyday. “Just like a Dor won’t happen every time,” she smiles, happy with the truckloads of compliments she has been receiving ever since the Nagesh Kukunoor film hit the theatres.

“I know it will be difficult to do any film after Dor; it has become such a benchmark for me,” says Ayesha. “I had always looked for a role like that, something that will satisfy me from inside as an actress and Nagesh brought that for me.”

So how does she follow up that act? “There has to be a balance,” Ayesha explains and so there she is, doing hardcore commercial films like Nikhil Advani’s Salaam-e-Ishq, Ahmed Khan’s Fool and Final, E. Niwas’s De Taali and the N.R. Pachisia production Kya Love Story Hai.

In the middle of all her big screen adventures, Ayesha will also be seen anchoring a show on the small screen. She is the new face of STAR Gold’s Sabsey Favourite Kaun, taking over from Arshad Warsi. “Last year I had just flagged off the awards poll; this year I have signed on as the brand ambassador,” clarifies Ayesha.

And why would she do something like that? “Sabsey Favourite Kaun is the only film award event in the country which is by the people, for the people,” pat comes the reply. “It is also very special to me because I did my first stage performance for the event. The audience voted me the Best Nayee Heroine award, too.”

This year, though, Ayesha has been nominated in the Sabsey Favourite Heroine category, which Rani Mukherjee has been winning for the last three years.

“It’s a lot of fun to be upgraded in the first place,” chips in Ayesha before breaking into peels of laughter. “I don’t know whether I will eventually win but it’s nice to be nominated.”