Debuting sister act

My friends persuaded me to be a part of a short movie titled Shoki. One of the assistant director’s who worked for Shoki, happened to be an assistant in the upcoming venture The Great Story of Sodabuddi. Frankly, my younger sister who was then still in her pre-university, was offered the role, but when she refused it, saying that she would be interested only after finishing her studies, it fell in my kitty,” says Anusha. Her sister Ashika, has now bagged a meaty role in director Mahesh Babu’s upcoming venture Crazy Boy. Mahesh Babu had earlier directed hits like Akash, Arasu, Meravanige among other films.

 

The Great Story of Sodabuddi directed by Jyotirao Mohit gives Anusha, her much-needed break from monotonous portrayals on the small screen, Gokuladalli Seethe, a serial that ran for eight months till it was stopped following the reality show Bigg Boss. “Though, I took up the serial and film simultaneously, the film took some time to complete. I had been giving auditions for movies in between but nothing excited me. However, there were always offers pouring in for small screen roles. Though the serial gave me a break and recognition, playing the same role for months on end, and sometimes years, is difficult. I am more inclined towards movies and I am done with serials,” Anusha admits.

 

The two sisters are now settled in Bengaluru and looking out for more opportunities. Recollecting her college days, Anusha adds, “I was not studious in school but once I passed my PUC, I started scoring well. Even with acting, despite having no formal training, I strive hard to learn which is the reason I could satisfy the expectations of the Sodabuddi director. He made me prepare in advance. After my serial, I made it to several big projects but I was usually dropped later as the team would tag me as very young or amateur.” She plays a girl next door in Sodabuddi and has worked hard to lose weight for her role. There is twist to the film, and Anusha is hoping that the experiment works for her and the film. “My father, a PWD contractor, was initially not so comfortable with my acting career, but now is extremely proud of my hard work,” she says.