Tolly'gunge for this pataka

This actress made an explosive entry as the pataka in the commercial success Vajrakaya where she shared the screen with Century Star Shivarajkumar. Just two films old in Kannada, she has started making the right noise in Tollywood as well. Even as her first Telugu film Adhugo directed by Ravi Babu is yet to release, the theatre artiste-turned-film actress Nabha Natesh has signed her second Telugu film being directed by Rajashekar Naidu. She talks about her two Telugu films and a probable debut venture in Tamil too. Nabha also dispels the preconceived notions of actresses working in other language films. 

“My debut film Vajrakaya gave me everything, especially great exposure to work in other film industries. However, after working in Vajrakaya, all I was offered in Kannada was very similar to the character I had portrayed. This is the reason why I took some time before I did my next Kannada film Lee, which was quite different to what I did in my debut film. 

I am just two-years-old in the film industry. I was in search of something new, and was offered a different meaty role in Telugu film Adhugo. For me, there is no language barrier as an actor. In fact, the movie is itself a language. I am glad that I have been offered such characters with a difference,” says Nabha Natesh.
About her second Telugu venture, which she bagged even before her first Telugu film, is in its post-production stage, Nabha feels lucky to have been part of the film, and she could not be happier. The second venture is going to be an out-and-out fun ride. “The film team was very particular about the female protagonist’s role, as they took more than six months to cast for it. I eventually was selected following several rounds of video auditions and workshop sessions. I will be sharing the screen space with Sudhir Babu, who has given us hits like Shamantaka Mani, Bhaagi, etc. He is also all set to portray the Badminton maestro Pullela Gopichand in a biopic venture. It is a completely different romantic-comedy and promises to be a fun-filled experience,” she says.

About her first Telugu film, Nabha shares that the film is almost ready, and the director Ravi Babu, who has launched several popular heroines from Bhumika Chawla and to Yami Gupta, is working hard on the digital graphic representation of a pig in the movie which plays a vital role. “It looks exactly like a real pig. A lot of care was taken to recreate a pig onscreen. The story is along the lines of Eega. I cannot reveal more about it, but the pig and its stinky nature is a theme that runs through the film,” she adds.

About the wrong notion that Kannada actresses who choose to act in other language films are moving on, Nabha explains: “It is very unusual when I am approached with a question on whether I will be working in Kannada films anymore. For an actor, films are his or her first language. There are no barriers. I am stationed in Bengaluru, and I am not going anywhere. I will always work in Kannada films. I am in talks on some good projects. I could not take up my third Kannada film as I was shooting for a Telugu film but I plan to work in all kinds of projects.”

As a theatre artiste, she feels acting irrespective of language is what matters. Nabha also recently took up a new form of fitness — functional training  where one uses one’s own body weight to work-out effectively. Being a dancer, she feels this also helps, and she stresses that dance is something she cannot live without.