'I will be voting for the very first time'

Actress Sanjjanaa thinks only a combination of luck and discipline works best in the film industry. The 24-year-old has a couple of releases lined up in Kannada and Telugu where she has acted with some of the biggest names in the film industry. “You can’t afford to falter when you are working with established actors. They expect nothing short of professionalism from you,” Sanjjanaa tells Metrolife.

Sanjjanaa has been busy shuttling between film shoots and lending her own bit to election campaign. She made time for JDS candidate Nandini Alva, who she says is more of a family than friend. Sanjjanaa also travelled to Shimoga to campaign for Geetha Shivarajkumar. “We started door-to-door campaign at 5.30 in the morning. The crowd was crazy in Shimoga and there were times when people just banged at the car. The crowds only swelled every time we stepped out. It was a new experience for me but I share a special bond with Geetha and Shivarajkumar,” she adds.

During her campaigning, Sanjjanaa was asked by a lot of people if she had any affinity towards any political outfit. “I would like to clarify that I haven’t joined any political party. In fact, I will be voting for the very first time. My name was missing from the electoral list last elections,” she shares.

One the film front, she has essayed a cameo in Agraja, which is slated to release soon. This will be followed by ‘Rebel’, where she plays an NRI girl. Sanjjanaa will appear without make-up for the role of a slum dweller in ‘Mandya to Mumbai’. “It is one of the toughest roles I’ve played till date. We shot in real slums and there were times when we had trouble controlling the crowd. But it was quite a rewarding experience,” she adds.

Her next project ‘Bangalore 23’ features the team of Karnataka Bulldozers and Sanjjanaa plays the love interest of Dhruva, the hearing-impaired player, of the team. In the words of Sanjjanaa, “Dhruva is an amazing actor”. “It is a privilege to be a part of the project and to play the love interest of Dhruva, my favourite player with a proven talent,” she notes.

Sanjjanaa also confesses now that she has acted in almost all the South-Indian languages, she would like to head to Bollywood. “My debut in Bollywood will be a big surprise for everybody. Stepping in Bollywood comes with a lot of responsibility,” she signs off.