Speaking to The Pioneer, the actress expressed how upset she was that the director and the film’s crew failed to consider her dates while promoting the film and did not include her in its promotions.
The eagerly-awaited Telugu film Dheera hit theatres on February 2. Although many were excited about the movie, one thing that has drawn attention is how much Soniya Bansal, the lead actress, has not been seen in promotional materials. This has fans and industry insiders curious!
We called the actress right thereafter to discuss the matter, and an already irate Soniya states, “I have my reasons to be upset right now, yet the film’s outcome has turned out to be well. I find it incredibly hard to comprehend how my director missed the fact that I was preoccupied with the Bigg Boss finals. My dates were set, and my movie crew began promoting the picture before I even realised I was one of the main leads. Things cannot be resolved with a single phone call! My manager is likewise perplexed as to why the Dheera crew was unable to change the dates for me. Even though I am still not disappointed, I want to make it clear in this interview that I am not the one who is at fault. I could have still pulled off my dates for my cherished movie as an actress. All I was waiting for was a follow-up call from the production house. To participate in my pre-release event in Hyderabad, I truly wanted to travel there. Even though there were a few issues during the shoot, I ignored them.”
The actress goes on to say, “They should know how dedicated I was to the film because I was bound by their contract. I have dedicated my entire year to the banner of Sri Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara. The film took longer than expected to complete—nearly eight months—than the three to four months we had estimated. They even said that I threw a tantrum on the sets, which is completely untrue.”
All of the film’s promotional materials piqued interest in the film at first glance. From the preview, it was clear that the film would provide an entirely new experience. Soniya continues, “I noticed that my film producer was also present at the press conferences. Of course, I wanted to be involved too. It was Padmavathi Chadalavada who was the producer! I still don’t understand why they turned it into such a huge deal with me, to the point where they ignored the movie’s lead actress.”
Soniya’s noticeable absence from the promotional fervour of the film, coupled with the presence of celebrities like Dil Raju, Prasanna Kumar, Gopi Chand, and the entire cast and crew, has generated conjecture. She was the starring lady, so her presence would have definitely added to the glitz and excitement around the film, felt the actress. “I have never had any date issues earlier in any of my films,” she continued, adding, “I turned down other offers in order to finish my schedule in Vizag, and I was really disappointed to see videos of myself missing from my own movie marketing. It hurts! Industry talks don’t have any bearing on me. All I can say for now is clarification. I don’t want to unnecessarily come off as unprofessional. I was really excited to work with Dil Raju sir, but it seems like he did not see me when I received my own promotions. I am not seeking anything that may negatively impact my career. Rumours started by the Dheera movie’s own production crew cannot be suppressed until and unless I do interviews like this one right now. No one had called, and I only got a message during the Bigg Boss finale shoot. Additionally, my management attempted to follow up but received no response. As far as my memory serves me, I feel that the only reason I am being treated this way is because I called out their lack of professionalism last year, and I think they mistook it for an attitude. I can only disregard this now.”
The film business is a hive of activity, with fans anxious. Was her nonattendance intentional, or was it the result of unanticipated events? Is there any rift with the team as a whole, or just between her and Laksh? The industry need not wait for an official announcement to clarify this intriguing part of the Dheera promotional campaign while speculation runs wild anymore, because here is our exclusive interview with the leading lady.
We called the actress right thereafter to discuss the matter, and an already irate Soniya states, “I have my reasons to be upset right now, yet the film’s outcome has turned out to be well. I find it incredibly hard to comprehend how my director missed the fact that I was preoccupied with the Bigg Boss finals. My dates were set, and my movie crew began promoting the picture before I even realised I was one of the main leads. Things cannot be resolved with a single phone call! My manager is likewise perplexed as to why the Dheera crew was unable to change the dates for me. Even though I am still not disappointed, I want to make it clear in this interview that I am not the one who is at fault. I could have still pulled off my dates for my cherished movie as an actress. All I was waiting for was a follow-up call from the production house. To participate in my pre-release event in Hyderabad, I truly wanted to travel there. Even though there were a few issues during the shoot, I ignored them.”
The actress goes on to say, “They should know how dedicated I was to the film because I was bound by their contract. I have dedicated my entire year to the banner of Sri Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara. The film took longer than expected to complete—nearly eight months—than the three to four months we had estimated. They even said that I threw a tantrum on the sets, which is completely untrue.”
All of the film’s promotional materials piqued interest in the film at first glance. From the preview, it was clear that the film would provide an entirely new experience. Soniya continues, “I noticed that my film producer was also present at the press conferences. Of course, I wanted to be involved too. It was Padmavathi Chadalavada who was the producer! I still don’t understand why they turned it into such a huge deal with me, to the point where they ignored the movie’s lead actress.”
Soniya’s noticeable absence from the promotional fervour of the film, coupled with the presence of celebrities like Dil Raju, Prasanna Kumar, Gopi Chand, and the entire cast and crew, has generated conjecture. She was the starring lady, so her presence would have definitely added to the glitz and excitement around the film, felt the actress. “I have never had any date issues earlier in any of my films,” she continued, adding, “I turned down other offers in order to finish my schedule in Vizag, and I was really disappointed to see videos of myself missing from my own movie marketing. It hurts! Industry talks don’t have any bearing on me. All I can say for now is clarification. I don’t want to unnecessarily come off as unprofessional. I was really excited to work with Dil Raju sir, but it seems like he did not see me when I received my own promotions. I am not seeking anything that may negatively impact my career. Rumours started by the Dheera movie’s own production crew cannot be suppressed until and unless I do interviews like this one right now. No one had called, and I only got a message during the Bigg Boss finale shoot. Additionally, my management attempted to follow up but received no response. As far as my memory serves me, I feel that the only reason I am being treated this way is because I called out their lack of professionalism last year, and I think they mistook it for an attitude. I can only disregard this now.”
The film business is a hive of activity, with fans anxious. Was her nonattendance intentional, or was it the result of unanticipated events? Is there any rift with the team as a whole, or just between her and Laksh? The industry need not wait for an official announcement to clarify this intriguing part of the Dheera promotional campaign while speculation runs wild anymore, because here is our exclusive interview with the leading lady.
