Now, pretty actress Samantha is seen loading guns and shooting down opponents in her upcoming Hindi series ‘Citadel’ while her colleague Kajal Aggarwal also showcased her shooting skills in her last release ‘Satyabhama’. It seems to be the season of gun-toting actresses in Tollywood. “Gun-wielding divas is a new fad in T-town,” admits producer Lagadapati Sridhar who reminds new-age actress Samyuktha Menon using a gun in his last release ‘Devil’. “Another young actress Anupama Parasmeswaran played an angry and gun wielding officer in ‘Tillu Square’ and did a good job," he says and adds “I think actresses are capable of doing all kinds of roles. These days, they are showcasing their new skill-wielding guns- to showcase their versatility and trying for a new image,” he adds.
The idea of breaking away from glam roles has even attracted actresses like Chandini Choudury (Yevam), Anjali (‘Nishabdham’), Anasuya Bharadwaj (‘Kshanam’), and Payal Rajput (Rakshana’) to name a few. “Actresses are mostly confined to glamour and bubbly roles and once-in-a-while gun-toting roles come their way. They do anger-driven roles to reach out to masses since girls in action mode enhance the brand value. Posters and first look grab more eyeballs and fetch them a new set of audience and image as well,” says director Hemanth Madhukar who trained actress Anjali in guns for his film 'Nishabdam'.
Surely, it looks to be an image makeover for some actresses to showcase their shooting skills and add a new dimension to their acting repertoire. “No doubt, showcasing fiery sides is part of an image makeover,” admits Priyamani, who handled guns in ‘Jawan’ and ‘Virata Parvam’. “It all depends on the script and characters we are portraying. It could be a police officer or naxal role, it demands actresses to handle guns with ease and style. Initially, it was difficult to run up and down the valleys with heavy guns since it was a period drama and I had to practice with old weaponry. Whereas, I could handle a trendy gun in 'Jawan' with more ease,” she adds.