Balakrishna is very sweet: Anjali

Anjali is currently on top of her game in the Telugu and Tamil and film industries, and will now be seen opposite Balakrishna in the film Dictator which is releasing on January 14. About working with an actor of Balakrishna’s stature, Anjali says,

“Initially I was a bit tense, because he is a very big actor and I heard that he is very strict. But once I met him, I got to know that he is actually very sweet and friendly,” says Anjali, adding that Balakrishna gave her space: “He told me to take my time to practice and then start the shoot. He makes everyone comfortable on the sets, so it was easy for me for the remaining shoot,” says Anjali.

She added that she is happy to be a “Telugu ammayi” and still be among the top actresses. “It’s not true that there is no place for Telugu girls. The industry is now very encouraging and I am always choosy about my projects,” she says, adding that picking the right roles is what can help actresses’ careers in the long run.

Even though she’s a Telugu girl, Anjali became a bigger hit in the Tamil movie industry first and only found success back home with Seethamma Vakilto Sirimalle Chettu in 2013.

“Yes, this film was a turning point in my career, and now, I spend most of my time travelling between Chennai and Hyderabad, dividing my my career between the Telugu and Tamil industries,” she says.

She also feels welcomed here, saying that there is no competition between the actresses. “For example if you take Kajal Aggarwal or Ileana or any other actress, they are meant for some roles. So everyone has their own space and I don’t feel that there is any competition,” she says.

The actress also says that focusing on her career helps keep her mind off the baseless rumours that sometimes float around T’wood. “Everyone has a problem, but when an actress is in the limelight then her problems are highlighted. It can’t be solved overnight as it takes time and here problems too slowly getting solved,” she says.

Dismissing rumours about marriage, kids and even dating a director, the actress adds that talking to her friends helps keep her mind off the negativity.

“They always advise me that if you are in the market, people will keep writing about you. So controversies are part of life and I take it positively,” she says.

She says that all her co-stars are her friends, including Sonal Chauhan, her Dictator co-star. “We don’t have any scenes together but I went and met her first, and we became good friends,” says Anjali.