Lee' & behold this hudugi

After making an impressive debut with Shivarajkumar in Vajrakaya, she is now set for her Tollywood debut in an untitled film by Suresh Productions.  Nabha Natesh, who signed Lee with Sumanth Sailendra after her debut, is busy shooting simultaneously for a few Kannada and Telugu projects. The theatre person-turned-actress speaks to Bengaluru Chronicle about her Telugu venture, and much more.

“After Harsha Master’s Vajrakaya, I had been getting offers both in Kannada and other industries. But many of the roles were similar to that of Pataka. So I took sometime, waiting for a perfect script. I have two more Telugu films in the pipeline too. I chose to debut under the Suresh Productions banner as they have been producing some great movies, and more importantly, they are known for launching new talent. The toughest job for an actor is to wait for the right movies,” says Nabha, who reveals that unlike her character in Vajrakaya, the Telugu venture is very different and the reason she signed it was because of the role, which was many faceted.

Before debuting in films, Nabha had ventured into modelling, but her love for acting drew her to theatre for a short stint, where she honed her talent at Abhinaya Taranga and later excelled both as an actor and assistant director to National award-winner Prakash Belawadi until her big break in Sandalwood.
“Vajrakaya gave me all the recognition, and because of Shivarajkumar Sir and Harsha Master, I was able to pull it off. I had to prepare a lot for the role, even on the sets, I learnt so much from such great actors and an impressive director. When it finally released, the audience who came to see Shivarajkumar Sir, also appreciated my work. I am grateful to Harsha Master, as my character was introduced like a hero, which is a rarity, especially as it was my debut venture,” Nabha explains.

Insofar as her Telugu debut is concerned, the actress says that she follows almost all South Indian industries, and understands Telugu. “I am sure by the end of my first Telugu film, I will be able to speak Telugu fluently. I had to work hard to be in tune with the character. I went through several rounds of auditions, including look tests, photo-shoots and video shoots. I am thrilled that I am doing this movie as the character suits my persona and is also completely different from the role in Vajrakaya,” she says.

The Telugu venture is directed by well-known Telugu film-maker Ravi Babu, who has several hits to his credit including Allari, Avanu and Avanu 2 (2015) starring another debutant Abhishek, who is also from a theatre background, and resides in Bengaluru.

Earlier this year, Nabha signed her second Kannada movie Lee opposite the young Sumanth Shailendra. She will be shooting for the Telugu and Kannada movies, simultaneously. The actress has two more projects in the pipeline in Telugu. “But I would rather wait for my debut Telugu film shooting to complete before announcing my future projects in Tollywood and other languages. I am just excited about the journey,” she adds.

In Lee, Nabha considers Sumanth a wonderful co-star, who learnt Wushu, a martial art, specially for the film. She is excited about the opportunity to work with seasoned professionals. Before signing off, Nabha reveals that she has managed to learn a bit of belly dance in between her short breaks.