'I only look for good scripts'

No Boundaries

Sharmiela Mandre is excited to be back inSandalwood after a break of more than a year and a half. She says that she is waiting for the release of her film ‘Goa’ and those who were wondering if she had disappeared from the scene can now heave a sigh of relief.

“I’ve been getting so many messages on Facebook asking why I’m not doing a Kannada film. I really want them to know that I haven’t gone away anywhere. I want them to know that I’m still interested in Sandalwood,” she says, adding, “I am a bit
nervous about the release, especially since I haven’t had a release in Kannada in more than a year and a half.”

“The reason for my staying away from the Kannada scene is because of my debut Telugu film, Kevvu Keka. I had to sign a contract which said I wouldn’t do any other film,” she informs.

The Bangalore girl emphasises that her first love is still Kannada cinema. “There is a certain comfort level that exists in Kannada cinema. It’s fun on the sets since we are all able to connect with each other,” she says. Recalling the first few days of shooting for the Telugu film, she says, “I felt left out to a large extent initially.

That’s because I didn’t know a word of Telugu. Although I was told that it’s an easy language to learn, I still find it very hard. I used to translate each and every sentence of the script initially. When you don’t know a language, dialogue delivery becomes a challenge,” she adds.

But she says that working in Tollywood has been a learning experience. “The cast and crew are quite blunt. If you’re doing something wrong, they’ll immediately point out. But I find the industry more professional than any other. What’s good was that they accepted me because they saw that I was interested and willing to work hard,” she says.

Coming down on those who have the misconception that Sharmeila signs only films opposite popular heros, she says, “That’s not true. I only look for good scripts and language doesn’t matter.”

Recalling her initial days in the film industry she says, “When I first came in to the industry, at the age of 17-18, I was playful. But over the years, I have become very serious and look for challenging roles. I’m not interested in cliched subjects, which require glamourous dolls,” she says.

Currently working on another Telugu project, the actress who was on a short break, is unwilling to reveal details. “I’m not supposed to talk about the film. In 10 days, we’re going to start the filming. That’s all I’m allowed to say at the moment,” she signs off.