CELEB TALK:‘An intelligent actress with a degree in hand is even more impactful’

Kannada beauty Ashika Ranganath is making her Tollywood debut with Amigos alongside Kalyan Ram. The actress, who is desiring a clean sweep at the box office with her debut movie in Telugu, spoke to The Pioneer’s Shikha Duggal about camaraderie on the sets, ties with Kalyan Ram, shooting for Amigos, and more.

Here is popular Kannada actress Ashika Ranganath taking a risky plunge into the Telugu industry with her upcoming movie titled Amigos. She made that move only to succeed; she confessed there was no going back now. She’s hoping that her collaboration with Nandamuri Kalyan Ram will be able to draw a crowd to the theaters. As a debutant here, she just wants to strike a chord, especially with the critics surrounding her.

“It’s not my first offer in Tollywood; during my Kannada stint, I received multiple offers from the city of Hyderabad. I said a “yes”. Unfortunately, they didn’t work out for some random reason. Concerns about my ability to enter Tollywood in the near future arose, but I quickly dismissed them. I immersed myself in Kannada films, working with everyone from Jagapati Babu to Siddharth, and I was glistening with success.

A few days later, destiny knocked on my door, and the producers asked me to return for a look test. I bagged the project, Amigos! Simultaneously, I also attended the SIIMA award show and met the biggies of this industry on the red carpet. I’ve witnessed how so many actors are excelling in the same nest here. So, the delay actually worked out in my favour.”

Desiring a clean sweep at the box office with her debut movie in Telugu, the actress continues to express, “It was my first ever interaction with Kalyan on the sets, and he’s total hero material. On the first day itself, he made me feel a little strung out. He initiated the conversation, and I was depressed, not knowing how we as an on-screen pair would go forward. Moreover, it was a totally new industry for me. I wouldn’t lie; I was bewildered. I was stunned to know that Kalyan isn’t loquacious at all; he was only interested in talking about the scene progression. Again, I was muddled. Finally, he opened up to me. I’m sure he’s become my favourite co-star, even among the well-known names I’ve worked with on Kannada projects, as soon as we struck up a good rapport. He has a Bimbisara on his name, but he doesn’t put on any airs.”

Expecting her journey to start with a bang, she also recollects, “I was asked to play the role of a radio jockey, and I am not talkative in real life at all. At least, not in comparison to a real RJ! I turned into a chatterbox all of a sudden. I researched the qualities of a RJ and went ahead. Another kick was: a famed production house signing me.” She agrees, a big banner movie does matter for a debut actress because, “They promised I’ll be sticking out amongst the lot, and a known production house will arrange expensive promotions. My inside sources have advised me to only go for celebrated production houses here: that’s how an actress can sustain herself here if they are labelled “big guns”. The introduction of an actress always matters! As soon as I was told Mythri Movie Makers would like to sign me, it was a sightless yes.”

Her mother encouraged her to think outside the box and pursue a career as an actress. She said, “She made me understand not every girl gets a chance to be the face of the entertainment industry. But, I was more focused on my academics! She put up a strong fight, saying actresses aren’t dumb. An intelligent actress with a degree in hand is even more impactful. When a Tamil offer also came my way, I was ready to reject it because I rarely work outside of my comfort-zone. It was my mom who persuaded me to go for it! She was bang on, today we have a term for such actors called “pan-India.” She’s my ‘momager’ and today we do three films at a time. I am going with the trend because execution also matters.”

“My introduction scene was shot in Goa; I had to be there for half a day, but Kalyan stopped me,” she recalled of her friendship with Kalyan Ram. “He asked me to luxuriate in an exotic location like Goa with him and the team.That’s when I got closer to him. He offered me a game of volleyball (she giggled). We even had lunch together at a shack; he ordered coastal cuisine and interacted with my father too. Brahmaji was also present. I was having a gala time all of a sudden.”