This stunning Kannadathi has delivered stellar performances in Mugulu Nage and Rambo 2. Now she is all set to woo the audiences with Avatara Purusha.
She’s known as Karnataka’s crush and one look at this stunner and you’ll know why she she’s been given that coveted title. A gorgeous Kannadathi, who won over Kannada audiences with her performances in Mugulu Nage and Rambo 2, Ashika Ranganath is now doing Simple Suni’s Avatara Purusha with actor Sharan. The fitness and dance enthusiast gets candid in a tete-e-tete with us…
“Suni sir and I have been in touch for a long time, but our dates didn’t work out. But now, I’m glad to be part of a good team. Initially, we were thinking that Sharan sir and my pairing is a repeated one (we worked together in Rambo 2), but then we’ve done a few other films in between, so there will be a considerable amount of gap before we are seen together again. And since it’s a hit combination, why worry?” says Ashika, who plays a modern character in the flick.
With the actress being immensely popular on social media and even being called ‘Karnataka’s crush’, she says, “It’s really awesome. It’s not like I became popular the day I entered the industry. I’ve been here for two years and finally, thanks to Rambo 2, everybody started talking about me. When you work for something and get recognition, it feels great. There are so many social media pages that post about me - it’s nice to see them take time out to do something for me. But I’m not letting this get to my head as there will be another crush next year! For now, I just want to celebrate it with the people who love me.”
However, social media has a downside too with several actresses being trolled. So, is she cautious when posting on the Internet? “It’s very important to be careful as even one sentence matters. I usually talk in Kannada more in interviews etc - when we start speaking our own language, then others will follow. I try to cater to both English and Kannada requests. But sometimes, it gets annoying when people go ‘oh, she’s not talking in Kannada’ — it should be one’s personal choice at the end of the day,” she says, adding, “People are too judgmental of actresses. When we post something, there’s an effort behind it, so they should respect that. On the other hand, actresses need to be careful as they’re public figures -avoiding an unpleasant situation is in our hands.”
While she’s been receiving offers in Tamil and Telugu, Ashika’s schedule is choc-a-bloc with Kannada films. “For my debut in Tamil or Telugu, I’m looking for a big team as I already have good experience in KFI. If I’m offered a very nice project, I’ll adjust my dates to do it. But my priority will be Kannada films as this is the language I’m most comfortable with,” says the actress, whose dream is to work with Baahubali director Rajamouli.
When she’s not shooting, Ashika’s not the kind to lazily sit around doing nothing. “I go to the gym or dance practice and do productive things which will help my career. I also like to hangout with my school friends — these are people I can be myself with,” says the academically inclined lass, who’s currently pursuing her MBA through correspondence. “I always want to study — I never get bored of it. I even wanted to go abroad to do my post-graduation, but I don’t think I have the time for it now!” she signs off.
