With top actress Kajal Agarwal set to play a cop in ‘Satyabhama’, it seems to be the season of gun-wielding divas in Tollywood. Just a week ago, Nandita Swetha donned khakis and took on the might of thugs in ‘Hidimbha’ to showcase her fiery side. “It is quite challenging for an actress to play a cop since it is a responsible and respectful job in real-life. We have to be flexible during action episodes besides undergoing training for using a gun," says Nandita Swetha, who is again playing a police officer in her upcoming movie ‘Mangalavaram’. “Cop roles are special in their own way, so I feel proud to don khakis on the big screen, away from my glam roles,” she 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. Talking about the new trend of gun-toting girls, Saiyami Kher, who played a RAW agent, says, “We are mostly seen in glamour and bubbly roles and once-in-a-while gun-toting roles come our way. I took up the anger-driven avatar in 'Wild Dog' to reach out to the masses since girls in action mode enhance the brand value. Posters and first look grab more eyeballs and fetch us a new set of audience and image as well,” she informs.
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 side is part of an image makeover,” admits Priyamani, who handled a double barrel gun in ‘Virata Parvam’ as she played a Naxalite. “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 as a CBI officer in another movie with more ease,” she adds.
Is she hoping to take on a hero image, she replies, “Not at all, but yes, a gun-wielding personality on screen raises the rating of an actress and reinvents the image a bit,” she informs.
