Ritika Singh

“I am not an insecure person. Thanks to my training in martial arts, I have it in me to appreciate good work, say 'Wow,' and say 'You deserve it.'”

“I never thought of acting Bollywood. I have not seen many films.”

“My main goal for taking up acting as a profession was to show that sport or MMA teaches you life skills that can be applied to any profession in the world.”

“I don't want to do sing-and-dance routine. I believe script is the king, so I would go for powerful stories.”

“I switched between professions that are like chalk and cheese.”

“I found it tough to follow an athlete's lifestyle. But soon, it became a part of my life, and I embraced it.”

“I really want to act and act in great roles, which have scope of performance.”

“I have been fighting from a very young age. There is no fear there. It helped me cultivate the mindset of a fighter.”

“I never wanted to be an actress. I am a martial arts fighter.”

“I have this ambition that when I become powerful and famous, I will host an event of boxing or kick-boxing, which the entire nation watches. That way, this sport will gain attention. People will realise that there is a lot of talent in India.”

“I've been in the boxing ring, taking punches to my face. I've always got back up.”

“'Shivalinga' was a tough project - I did my own stunts in the film. I actually enjoyed it, as I play a character with many layers. It was challenging to switch between the many phases of the character.”

“My father is a trainer. From childhood, I would watch him train and kick and punch.”

“Even in school, I was that kid others tried to pull down because I was naughty and did well in sports and academics. Life has trained me well.”

“I was crazy about martial arts. At the age of three, I started training in karate.”

“Sport has taught me never to be jealous of someone or insecure if somebody is doing well. It's taught me teamwork and the value of patience. Even If I lose, I know that I've actually not lost.”

“Whenever I go to any particular event, people are shocked that I'm a fighter. To be a fighter, I have to look a certain way, and to be an actress, I have to look a certain way. I have to change that; I've joined acting to do meaningful cinema and to show that there is much more than glamour that actresses can offer.”

“It was a dream come true, as in my first film, I have Rajkumar Hirani as the producer and Madhavan as my co-star. Who can get a better role than this?”

“Compared to boxing, acting is more difficult. I have learnt martial arts and boxing since childhood. So, they were easier.”

“I do my own make-up, even when I have to attend all these film events.”