She used to be softspoken, bright and studious, but model Anushka Sharma also has what it takes to reach the top in showbiz, say people in this city as she makes her dream debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" Friday.

While her mentor and fashion guru Prasad Bidappa says Bangalore girl Anushka was always a good learner and he had an inkling that she would do well in the glamour and entertainment industry, her friends say she has always "stood out in the crowd".

"Anushka showed her zeal in learning things fast. She started walking the ramp perfectly just after a few days of guidance. She was agile and had a perfect body language. She was a good learner and worked hard to reach the top. It did not surprise me when she got such a good opportunity in Bollywood, " Bidappa, who also groomed Deepika Padukone, told.

Well-known designer Wendell Rodricks spotted Anushka at an event in Bangalore and saw her potential. He brought her to Mumbai and made her the showstopper in his Les Vamps show at the Lakme India Fashion Week.

After making a mark as a model, Anushka did big assignments for products like Fiat Palio and Silk and Shine products.

A trained bharatanatyam dancer, Anushka is playing a dancer who gets married to a nerd in "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi".

Former model and Kannada actress Andrita Ray says Anushka's entry into filmdom brings hope for others who are trying to make it big in filmdom.

"Certainly this was the most encouraging news for many models in the city who are trying for a foot hold in the film industry, " said Andrita, who forayed into the Kannada film industry with director Mahesh Babu's "Meravanige".

Andrita remembers Anushka as a softspoken girl.

"More than me, some of my best known friends who describe her as one girl who could be noticed even in a big crowd.

"Though I did not have too many interactions with her, I was very happy to see her getting such a big break. And what makes it more exciting is the fact that she was chosen after more than a hundred girls were interviewed, " said Andrita.

Some of Anushka's friends who studied in Mount Carmel College with her say they were not at all surprised that she chose a film career.

"Working in films was her first ambition, " said a friend.

One of her teachers on request of anonymity said she was surprised when she saw Anushka's photograph in a newspaper with Shah Rukh. "She was very studious and I thought she would complete her post graduation in economics, " said the teacher.

What SRK has to say about Anushka

The superstar tells us, "To be really honest when I met Anushka I felt that she's got an amazing amount of confidence, I think she has modeled before this on the ramp, She's a very pretty girl, very conscientious which I notice is a common trait in the youth of today.

All youngsters are very conscientious, very confident and they have a very clear cut thought process, they want to learn but they have a mind of their own and this is an experience I am really finding very interesting in my phase of the career that I am working with youngster who come with an idea which is I would say they speak the language of this generation, they have expressions of this generation I think I am from a different generation and may be I am getting a little old fangled, may be I am getting what people call stylized and mannerised in my acting, may be I am just getting repetitive in my acting.

When I worked with Anushka it made me realize that there is a whole new world of enacting a scene, Anushka in a certain way has helped me a lot with this film lot of people asked me did you direct Anushka because she's a new comer?

I think without knowing Anushka has directed me in the film because she gives a different expression and I am like listen I cannot be going on to the set pattern of how I act I need to react to this girl whose so fresh and different so as an actor I would say she has kept me on my toes and I think she has done a wonderful job because really needed a new character for this film, the film becomes believable for Suri and everybody else in the film because of Anushka, she holds the film together.

She is in the certain sense the main protagonist actually at the end of one scene I went up to her and told her 'thank you for making my film so beautiful' I think these are the two things I can say about Anushka and wish her All the best, I feel responsible for her career because she is starting of with me.

I hope she does a fantastic job. Thank you for teaching me how to act in a different way and keeping me on my toes not just by virtue of being fresh and new, by being taller than me also. I truly from the bottom of my heart pray for her.

I hope we have got this film right Adi and myself and it does really good for her and she does some amazing amount of work so we can feel proud that we started her career on celluloid."