She may have been liked as Ranbir Kapoor’s love interest in her debut film Rockstar, but Nargis Fakhri says it’s tough for an outsider to make a place in India’s film industry. In her second film, Shoojit Sircar directed political thriller Madras Cafe, scheduled to release on Thursday, she will be seen with another top actor — John Abraham.

“I’m still in awe of how I got so lucky to work with the actors like Ranbir and John. I hope to continue to work with more A-listers,” Fakhri said in an interview.

“It is pretty difficult for a newcomer to make it in Bollywood. You need guidance, and I was fortunate that agencies like Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and KWAN Entertainment and Marketing Solutions had taken me on. If it wasn’t for the team I think I might not be here.

“In this industry, you need to know people or have family that is already in it to make it big. I still have so much to learn and so many people to meet,” she added.

Having said that, Fakhri is open to working with newcomers as scripts also guide her decision.

“I am open to work with newcomers. It’s just not about the co-stars, it also depends on the script...I’m an equal opportunist,” said Fakhri.

The actress plays the role of a foreign journalist in Madras Cafe.

“With every new film you hope that you have grown, and I think I have grown a bit. I have put in a lot of hard work and time into Madras Cafe. As the time moves forward, you start understanding and learning more when it comes to the craft,” she said.

“When it comes to Rockstar, I was new and had no clue on what was happening or what I had to do! I was thrown into something I had no clue about. In my second film, I have been able to give more, because I had the time to learn,” the 33-year-old added.

Sharing her experience of being a journalist in the film, Fakhri said she watched a lot of TV news to prepare: “It was difficult as I am not a real journo. But the help of workshops, people, documentaries as well as footage from on the field war correspondents of BBC and CNN and my own efforts, helped me understand my character Jaya,” said Fakhri.

And she sang the praises of Abraham.

“John made me comfortable on the sets. He is a talented actor and a lovely person to work with. It’s great to work with people who can make you feel safe and at ease,” she said.

After Madras Cafe, Fakhri will be seen in an item number with Shahid Kapoor in director Rajkumar Santoshi’s Phata Poster Nikla Hero.

“It’s my first item number. It was fun, but at the same time very difficult. I have learned so much from this experience. I’m not a trained dancer. I had taken classes though,” said Fakhri.

“I’d love to do an action film where the woman is some kind of hero. I just want to kick some b***. But I’m open to all sorts of roles, because with each role your portray, you learn something new about other people as well as yourself.”