Naga Chaitanya is my first dance co-star: Daksha Nagarkar

Having won plaudits for her performances in films like Hora Hori and Zombie Reddy, Daksha Nagarkar has another interesting stint coming up. The actress is set to enthral the audience in a special number in Bangarraju opposite Naga Chaitanya.

Daksha prefers to call it a celebration song and not a special number.
“It’s a grand festival song. The number is colourful and has all the vibes and elements typical of Sankranti festival,” she shares, adding that she will be seen wearing a half-saree in the song in the Kalyan Krishna directorial.

Interestingly, she was initially reluctant to be part of the song. “Many people advised that I should not do a special song, given that I have been getting great scripts. So I was confused. Then I had a conversation with director Kalyan Krishna garu who explained the song's perspective,” she says.

The actress believes that the song will strike a chord with the audience. Since she shot opposite Naga Chaitanya, she is confident that the masses will lap it up.
Daksha describes Chay as her ‘first dance co-star on screen’. “We had a few rehearsals before going for the song shoot. He was very patient and forthcoming when I repeatedly rehearsed a few moves,” Daksha reveals, adding that the experience of working for the song was amazing.

The actress bonded with Chay over jokes, and also met Nagarjuna when he came to shoot his scenes for the film, making it a ‘double delight’. She says she had several conversations with him. “I asked him about his fascination for tattoos, love for snakes, etc. He even showed me his latest tattoos (full arm tattoo),” reveals Daksha.

Coming from a family of doctors, Daksha wanted to become a cardiologist, but destiny had other plans. She took part in a pageant and much to her surprise, she won it. The win landed Hora Hori (2016), her Telugu debut.

When she went on to do films like Hushaaru, Daksha realised that acting is what she loves to do. “I fell in love with the profession. In fact, films taught me to be more open and an extrovert. Earlier I was an introvert. I realised that I need to have conversations with people from different walks of life,” the Husharu actress explains.

Daksha, who has just returned from a vacation in Madeira Island, Portugal, says she went there because it is famous for its yachts and beach parties. “But most other places are shut down due to the spike in Covid-19 cases,” she says.

“The whole vibe of the place is incredible; I haven’t travelled out of the country ever since the pandemic struck, so I wanted to enjoy some down time and ring in the New Year. Moreover, I am a huge football fan, especially of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born in Madeira, so I wanted to visit the place.