Express News Service
In 2021, the release of Jathiratnalu shed light on its debutant Faria Abdullah, who charmed everyone with her girl-next-door presence and warmth. Cut to 2023, the actor finds herself in the throes of a second debut. This time, she is entering the Hindi industry with The Jengaburu Curse, which is also incidentally her OTT debut.
She speaks to CE about her upcoming release, the inevitable burden of social responsibility for an actor, and more.
Excerpts:
You will be discovered by a whole new set of audiences with The Jengaburu Curse. How is your headspace right now?
I feel just the way I did when Jathiratnalu came out, to be honest. Be it then or now, I have believed that the content will change everything. The only difference is that people did not know me back then. People began to call me Chitti everywhere after Jathiratnalu, I hope that folks will also see and accept me as Priya now. These characters have been very impactful for me, I can only hope that the audience can also feel the impact I made.
This role is a far cry from the series of lighthearted characters you have essayed so far. How did you prepare for this role, and gear up for the challenges it threw?
You are right, this is unlike anything I have done before. Priya is not a happy person, she ran away from her past only to be forced back into it due to some untoward circumstances. Whatever happens to Priya in the course of the series, it is either traumatic, shocking or sudden. I prepared on the go. Before I would go on a shoot, I would find music that can drive me towards feeling pain. I would also find ways to cry and cry till I got all gloomy and my face got swollen. I did not even go home initially to stay connected with the role, but I eventually did leave after a few months, after all that pain became too much (laughs).
You are making your Tamil debut soon with Valli Mayil…
I am eagerly waiting for it to come out. We still have one more schedule left to shoot. Vijay Antony sir is a gem, he is wonderful to work with. Our director Suseendran sir is a National Award-winning filmmaker, so I am super proud and honoured to be on his sets. The way he treats his actors, and the way he frames these specific shots, it was all so inspiring and beautiful.
The story is set in different eras, and I play the titular character, a theatre artist. It was great to be a part of this world. Closer home, I am working on a film with Allari Naresh. We are shooting it right now. It is a family entertainer, Jamie Lever is also acting in the film, and I am excited to be a part of this project, amidst such funny, talented actors.
In 2021, the release of Jathiratnalu shed light on its debutant Faria Abdullah, who charmed everyone with her girl-next-door presence and warmth. Cut to 2023, the actor finds herself in the throes of a second debut. This time, she is entering the Hindi industry with The Jengaburu Curse, which is also incidentally her OTT debut.
She speaks to CE about her upcoming release, the inevitable burden of social responsibility for an actor, and more.
Excerpts:googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
You will be discovered by a whole new set of audiences with The Jengaburu Curse. How is your headspace right now?
I feel just the way I did when Jathiratnalu came out, to be honest. Be it then or now, I have believed that the content will change everything. The only difference is that people did not know me back then. People began to call me Chitti everywhere after Jathiratnalu, I hope that folks will also see and accept me as Priya now. These characters have been very impactful for me, I can only hope that the audience can also feel the impact I made.
This role is a far cry from the series of lighthearted characters you have essayed so far. How did you prepare for this role, and gear up for the challenges it threw?
You are right, this is unlike anything I have done before. Priya is not a happy person, she ran away from her past only to be forced back into it due to some untoward circumstances. Whatever happens to Priya in the course of the series, it is either traumatic, shocking or sudden. I prepared on the go. Before I would go on a shoot, I would find music that can drive me towards feeling pain. I would also find ways to cry and cry till I got all gloomy and my face got swollen. I did not even go home initially to stay connected with the role, but I eventually did leave after a few months, after all that pain became too much (laughs).
You are making your Tamil debut soon with Valli Mayil…
I am eagerly waiting for it to come out. We still have one more schedule left to shoot.
Vijay Antony sir is a gem, he is wonderful to work with. Our director Suseendran sir is a National Award-winning filmmaker, so I am super proud and honoured to be on his sets. The way he treats his actors, and the way he frames these specific shots, it was all so inspiring and beautiful.
The story is set in different eras, and I play the titular character, a theatre artist. It was great to be a part of this world. Closer home, I am working on a film with Allari Naresh. We are shooting it right now. It is a family entertainer, Jamie Lever is also acting in the film, and I am excited to be a part of this project, amidst such funny, talented actors.
