Telly star turns to cine spice

From a 14-year-old receptionist to a critically acclaimed actor — Anushree has been a lot of things on her way to becoming a known face in every city household. Four seasons of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs, multiple other reality shows, Bigg Boss Kannada 1, and an upcoming movie Uppu Huli Khaara later, the VJ-turned actress spills all in a chat on how in spite of the soaring popularity, she’s still a country girl at heart.  The girl who did Benkipatna which won her the NAK Media Achievement Award for best debut actress will be playing a lead role in Uppu Huli

Khaara, directed by Imran Sardhariya. “I had never dreamt of this. I had absolutely no aspirations for the industry,” she gushes, still surprised at how she ended up in the profession she adores now. “When my father left us, we lost everything. In spite of that my mother stood as a rock and provided me the best education. She actually wanted me to become a nurse, but I was always so fascinated by the air hostess profession. In the eighth standard I noticed how hard my mother was struggling to make ends meet, so I took up odd jobs.” In the tenth grade, she was working as a tele-caller when out of a random suggestion, she had decided to audition for a local TV channel in Mangalore.

However, things haven’t always been easy for the 29-year-old. Sometimes, it was the musical drawl of her Mangalorean accent and sometimes just the victim of consequences. Yet, she didn’t harbour the  quintessential tinsel town dream. “I was hesitant as people had already known me for so long as a TV personality as an anchor. I was apprehensive about their acceptance of me as an actor,” admits the actress.

“But it would be another milestone in my career. That’s what spurred me forward!” she adds. Drawing most of her inspiration from actresses like Kalpana, Vidya Balan, Kangana Ranaut and a devout lover of Mandira Bedi’s style of anchoring, Anushree believes that all these years later, she is camera-ready even in the middle of the night. A passionate dancer and yoga enthusiast, Anushree claims that her mother is her closest friend. “I’m a simple person, my best friend and biggest critique is the same person – my mother. My brother, however, is who I see completing all my dreams. Everything I couldn’t be, I try to fulfil through him; that is probably why he’s so scared of me,” she adds, laughing.
Determined and sure of herself, she recalls how none of this would have been possible had her mother not believed in her. “It still overwhelms me whenever my mother says that the biggest moment in her life has been the day I gifted her, her own house. Someday, I hope I can indulge in agriculture and farm my own produce,” she states. Yet the Karnataka State Film Awards winner of best dubbing artist (female) for Murali Meets Meera, believes had she not been in this industry, she, “would have landed that airport job some way or the other!”