JOIN USPopular Sandalwood actress Sanjjanaa says that she has her sister, Nikki Galrani, to thank for her entry into the cinema industry. Today, the actress has grown leaps and bounds and is all set to take on new and challenging roles. The ‘Ganda Hendati’ actress is currently busy shooting ‘Cinema My Darling’, which is directed by Gaurish Akki, a popular TV journalist-turned-director.
The movie is set in Gandhinagar, the hub of the Kannada film industry. Raghu Dixit has been roped in to score its music. Lead actress Sanjjanaa will play the role of a dream chaser in the flick. Her character ‘Deviyaani’ is a ‘wannabe’ heroine who faces many hurdles along her way and is on the verge of achieving her dream. Sanjjanaa will be seen alongside Vihan Gowda, Manojava and Raju Talikote.
“Gaurish Akki and I were friends from the time he used to interview me for a news channel and we have constantly been in touch through social networking sites. Even when he was working as a journalist, he had a script in mind which he wanted to direct. I was curious to know what the plot would be like considering he is a film ‘pundit’ who reviewed movies. I knew this project would be a hit even before we started the shoot. It totally came as a surprise when he offered his dream heroine’s role to me,” she says.
“The movie will explore the depth and the bitter competition, in various realistic dimensions, in the very film field we live and work for,” adds Sanjjanaa.
Sanjjanaa was widely recognised for the 2013 season of ‘Bigg Boss Kannada’. She was also paired with big names like Ravichandran in ‘Narasimha’, Ramesh Aravind in ‘Rangappa Hogbitna’, Sudeep and Darshan. While she makes a conscious effort to choose roles that are unique, there is a general perception of the actress as an ‘item girl’ or ‘special appearance actor’.
“Many people think I’m doing just an item song in ‘Cinema my Darling’, but I would like to clear the air by saying that ‘Deviyaani’ is the lead in the film and not just the heroine but also the hero of the film to a great extent. She is a very successful and popular item song dancer who has the aura of a star and does not really care about making it big. The film describes her journey from being a small town girl to the superstar that she is. Our film is an original script and is not inspired by any novel or any film, from any other language.”
On what basis does the actress sign scripts? “I choose my roles on the basis of how much weightage my character has, and the role has to be fresh, something that is not heard or seen. I try and deliver more than I can in all the movies that have been scripted for me. I seldom face challenges while I shoot for a movie as I always prepare well before appearing in front of the camera. I do a thorough homework before I give my takes,” she says.