With reigning actress Samantha holding a double barrel gun in the poster of her new film ‘Maa Inti Bangaram’ and Kajal Aggarwal holding guns as a cop in her next 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-director Abhishek Nama, who made actress Samyuktha Menon use a gun in his last release ‘Devil’. “I think actresses are capable of doing all kinds for 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 Saiyami Kher (‘Wild Dog’), Anjali (‘Nishabdham’), Anasuya Bharadwaj (‘Kshanam’), and Payal Rajput (‘5 W’) 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.
