Tollywood actresses: We mean business
Tollywood actresses are getting involved in various businesses, apart from acting in mainstream films
By : latika marri
Update: 2015-05-23 02:32 GMT
Hyderabad: Taapsee Pannu, who is trying her hands at wedding planning, is the latest celeb to branch out. This has become a fairly common trend with many actresses like Tamannaah, Sanjjanaa, Charmme, Nisha Aggarwal, etc. trying their hands at something other than acting as an alternative career. Nisha, who launched a jewellery brand called Marsala last month, says, “We all know that actresses have a shelf life. Acting is not for a lifetime. Marsala is a sustainable business model. It makes me happy. I’m fond of jewellery and fashion, so I thought this was the perfect thing for me to do.”
Sanjjanaa, who has co-produced Kannada films, feels that acting is opportunity-based. “I have also started the Akshar Power Yoga Academy in Bengaluru, which is the 9th centre in the city. It’s a power yoga lounge, a very premium centre,” Sanjjanaa adds.
For Charmme, her experiences in the industry have helped a lot as a co-producer for her upcoming film Jyothi Lakshmi, directed by Puri Jagannadh. “When I got into production, the kick that it gave me was amazing. The stress and the pain were worth it. Keeping in mind the budget, quality and time, we’ve delivered a good product. It was a rollercoaster ride. I’ve had sleepless nights. On one side, I would be giving my shot and on the other, I would be taking care of all the production issues. When people like Puri garu and C. Kalyan garu compliment me, it feels great,” Charmme adds.
To be successful in any field, the actresses agree that one needs an efficient team to help. Sanjjanaa thinks that one has to be confident about one’s staff, but one also needs to keep a close check. Charmme says, “There’s no money that goes in or out without my knowledge. I have a fantastic team, that helps a lot.”
Belonging to the glamour industry, popular actresses enjoy a huge fan following. Does this help in getting investors for their ventures? “As a co-producer, I want to invest my own money. I don’t want to get investors. When you get an investor, you have to guarantee returns. That’s not possible always,” Sanjjanaa says.
Nisha feels that it helps but ultimately the product has to be convincing for it to generate into sales. For Charmme, production just happened. “While turning producer for the first time, Puri Jagannadh made me feel safe. Puri garu knows me very well. I’m a kanjoos by nature. Even when we would be on outdoor shoots, I would organise things well and Puri garu noticed that. So he convinced me for Jyothi Lakshmi,” says Charmee.
These actresses are at the peak of their careers, then why branch out? “It interests me. So why not right now? Why should I wait till tomorrow?” Nisha asks.