'I try to balance everything out'

Acting in a television serial is not an easy task. Long hours under the arclights and endless shooting schedules are the order of the day. For a student, it’s all the more difficult to work in a serial thanks to the academic pressures.

But Nirusha, final-year student of B.Sc in MS Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and Commerce, has been able to manage everything with precision. The young actress is a known face on Kannada television and has not only acting in various shows but also anchored many. She started off as an anchor on Suvarna TV and is now playing the lead in ‘Sagara Sangamam’ on Zee Kannada. 

“I have anchored many shows on ETV. In fact, I started as an anchor and slowly moved on to television shows. I also did a reality show called ‘Indian Reality Show’,” she says. The show had 14 participants and required them to travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. “However, I could travel only to two places as I got eliminated in Punjab,” she adds. 

As her father is a theatre artiste, Nirusha has always had a passion for acting. “I have had a love for anchoring and acting and always wanted to get into this field,” she informs. Currently, she plays the role of Sharvari on Zee Kannada’s ‘Sagara Sangamam’, which airs at 8.30 pm everyday. “I play the lead role on the show and I see myself in her. She is naughty and carefree,” she exclaims. 

Ask her how she manages her long shooting hours with college and she says, “It does get very hectic at times. I try to balance everything out. But luckily for me, both my colleagues and college authorities are very supportive. So if I need to shoot for long, my college gives permission and if I have an exam, my team gives me the permission,” she says. 

At present, Nirusha works from 6 am to 8 pm! “I miss college,” she laughs. “But I like both studies and acting and I want both! So somehow, I manage,” she notes. 

Since she will be graduating in a year’s time, does she plan to pursue acting full-time or study further? “Acting for sure,”she replies without thinking twice. “I would love to get into films someday. I am fine with any language but my first preference is Kannada,” she adds. 

Does she have any advice for students who want to dabble in an array of things? “Finish your studies. Don’t wait for later as concentrating on either becomes a problem then,” she advises. Nirusha also has a passion for dance though she hasn’t trained formally in the field. She attributes her success to her confidence.

 “I am always positive in life and don’t care about what people think or say. Many say that I am too short but I don’t bother. In fact I think I became famous thanks to my height!”