'Dance comes very easily to me'

Actor Sharmiela Mandre has been having a dream run in the film industry so far. The young artiste, who will be seen in ‘Aake’ which releases in June, is excited about her new project. In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, she talks about her journey so far.

Tell us about ‘Aake’...
‘Aake’, directed by KM Chaitanya, is a thriller movie with supernatural elements. I am acting opposite Chiranjeevi Sarja in the project. The film was shot in London and the crew included Indian and British technicians. 

Your role in the film...
I play a young single mother in the movie. She faces a lot of difficulties in life as she is also a struggling actor.  Since I’m naturally a fun-loving and bubbly person, this character needed me to take a few steps back and be a bit serious.

Your other upcoming projects include...
I will be playing a journalist in ‘Leader’ opposite Shivarajkumar. There is a very glamourous song in the project and I am excited about it.

How challenging was the song?
It’s the first time I’m doing something so glamourous. The song has an Arabic theme and the dance style was belly dancing which was a little difficult as it was a new form for me. But as such, I don’t think there’s anything challenging about doing dance numbers. Dance comes very easily to me.

How do you select your movies?
I prefer working on one film at a time. Some people can handle different shoots together. I am not someone who can juggle between a lot of projects as it is exhausting. Switching between characters isn’t easy.

Something new that you want to try...
I feel lucky that I have been able to experiment a lot. I want to continue doing roles that will be remembered.

A remake you would like to be a part of...
Plenty of them! If movies like the classic movie ‘Naagarahavu’, ‘Gejje Pooje’ or the more recent ‘U Turn’ were to be remade, I would love to be a part of them.

Lessons you learnt from Sandalwood...
The industry has taught me to be patient. It has also made me very focussed.

Something you would ike to change in the industry?
The industry is evolving. I would like to see more women-oriented roles come in. I would also like to see young artistes being given equal opportunities to prove their mettle.