Tollywood: Driven by success

2022 has been a tough year for leading ladies in Tollywood. Top actresses like Rashmika Mandanna, Pooja Hegde, etc., had a bad year as their films weren’t successful. However, we also saw some brilliant performances. In a year when most films were rejected by audiences, there was little to celebrate. But if there was any glimmer of sunshine it was the rise of a few actresses

Mrunal Thakur

When Mrunal Thakur’s name was announced as the leading lady in Sita Ramam, many were surprised with her casting. But the audience couldn’t stop raving about her stellar performance of Sita post the film’s release in August. Mrunal won instant applause for bringing gravitas to her character. When asked Mrunal to comment on the success, she says that she couldn’t have gotten a better birthday gift than the film’s super success. “It was Sita who chose Mrunal and not the other way,” Mrunal smiles, adding that she was overwhelmed with the love and appreciation that was poured. “Characters like Sita come your way once in a decade, and I couldn’t have asked for a better debut in Tollywood.”

Anupama Parameswaran

Interestingly, Anupama Parameswaran has had three releases this year! She started off the year with Rowdy Boys. But it was Karthikeya 2 that saw her showcase her acting chops! Having done a few roles, Anumapa shares that her role in Karthikeya 2 made her realise how she had evolved as an actor and a person.

“I loved the journey of Karthikeya 2 so much that when the shooting was over, I felt very disappointed,” shares Anupama, adding that the success of the film gave her new enthusiasm. The actress adds that she believes in going hatke films that challenge her to do better. “The costumes I sport, my hairdo, and the body language in the film resembles the real me. So I thoroughly enjoyed playing the part.”

Anupama likes to be part of content-driven films, and as such she had to let go a few offers for Karthikeya 2. Her transformation from being a chubby girl to sporting a lean look was appreciated. “I have realised that mental well-being reflects on our physical health,” she replies, adding, “I am game to experiment with roles in various languages because it’ll give you the opportunity to play diverse roles,” says Anupama who also starred in 18 Pages which was released a few days ago.

Meenakshi Chaudhary

A pageant winner, Meenakshi Chaudhary was new to films and debuted in Tollywood this year with Ravi Teja-starrer Khiladi. While she was able to make some noise with the film, it was HIT 2, released earlier this month, that made the audience take notice of her work. The actress states that she is still discovering and learning the ropes of the industry. “Yes, it’s been a great year for me; all thanks to the Telugu audience,” thanks Meenakshi, recalling on a lighter note that she shot both her films during Covid.

“I think in every actor’s journey there’s one film that will change their journey forever. That’s what happened to me with HIT 2. It has introduced me to a new set of audiences who applauded my performance. My career dynamics have changed with HIT 2,” Meenakshi acknowledges, adding the film was such a big hit that people will start taking notice of her subsequent films too.

What’s even more exciting according to her was that her one and half year journey has started post Covid. “I am doing five films and have seen so much in a short span of journey,” she asserts.

Samantha

In the year, Samantha has been in the news for her personal reasons rather than filmy. But she did not let her personal life affect her work. The actress has shown great character to bounce back and find success at the box office. She has had two releases this year — Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal (in Tamil) and Yashoda (Telugu-Tamil).  The latter became a super hit and further strengthened her ability to shoulder films. With her ability to pull off female-centric films, Sam has been in a phase of her career where she can choose!

Sam was diagnosed with Myositis and is undergoing treatment on one side, but she continues to surprise the audience with her genre of films. While Yashoda was a film that was about surrogacy, her upcoming film Shakuntalam is a costume drama, and Khushi is a contemporary love story. She wows the audience with her uncanny knack to transform into the character she plays.