A packed life

Meaningful roles

Actress Priyanka Upendra got a feel of what goes behind the camera when she produced ‘Uppi2’, which features her actor-husband Upendra in the lead role. The movie is complete and Priyanka says that she has learnt a lot of lessons along the way.

   “I didn’t know that production involved paying attention to the smallest details. I did have some hard moments with Uppi during the production. There were a few stressful times as well but all that has been worth it,” says Priyanka, who has also designed costumes for the film.

The Bengali beauty says that even though she didn’t want to commit to too many projects during the shooting of ‘Uppi2’, she has wrapped up the shooting for a film called ‘Priyanka’, directed by Dinesh Baboo featuring her in the lead role. She says that a lot of people had asked her whether the film is about her life. “The director was keen to title the film ‘Priyanka’ because the meaning translates to ‘a lap full of love’ which the director thinks is a reflection of my character in the film,” she says. But she clarifies that the movie has nothing to do with her life.

    “It has nothing to do with my life. I play a modern professional in the movie. It’s a well-written script and I am sure a lot of people will relate to it,” she says. 

She also carries off the role of a pregnant woman with ease in ‘Mummy’, the shooting for which has currently been stopped for want of a new producer. Priyanka’s role in the movie has often been compared to Vidya Balan’s role in ‘Kahani’. “The two films are not similar. Portraying the emotions of a pregnant woman can be quite exhausting. The director wanted to capture the essence of a pregnant woman and I hope I’ve managed to bring out what the director had in mind,” says Priyanka.

Priyanka has also got many offers to act in Bengali films but the paucity of time has kept her from accepting them. “There are a lot of talented actors in Kannada and Bengali film industries. Someday, I would like to explore re-making a Bengali film into Kannada. Both the industries are dear to me,” she says.