Actor Pooja Gandhi feels the best is yet to come

The posters of 'Dandupalya', where actor Pooja Gandhi played a victim of abuse, had images of her being tortured by the police. The posters of 'Dandupalya 3' (releasing on March 9) are not as gruesome, but showcase the actor in a never-before-seen avatar.

Pooja says that she felt more confident about her body after she essayed a rather bold character in 'Dandupalya', where she played a victim of abuse.

She prefers to call the six-year long association with the makers of the 'Dandupalya' series as memorable. She says that any actor would have loved to essay the type of role that she played in the series. "It was challenging to get under the skin of the character but the tougher the role the better it is for me. I like to work on characters that give me a chance to showcase my acting abilities. 'Dandupalya 3' has brought out the best in me," says Pooja.

Sharing her experience of working on the character, Pooja says "The director was particular that we get the smallest of expressions and details right. We had to look, walk and behave exactly like how the members of Dandupalya gang did in their prime. It had to be believable. Working towards achieving that was a challenge." She says that effort was taken to make sure that nothing was out of place, including the makeup and costume.

Pooja likes to call 'Dandupalya 3' as a prequel and not as a sequel. "'Dandupalya 3' will portray the police version and unravel the modus operandi of the gang. The scenes are intense and every actor has played his or her part so well that the audience will feel that it is real. It has been fictionalised but is close to reality," she says. She adds that the final version of the series captures the smallest of details to perfection. "One will get to see how the gang operated.

After they zeroed in on the victim. They would watch the victim and monitor the activities in and around the victim's house for days together. They would also gather as much information about the victim before the final strike. These scenes have a gripping narrative," says 

Pooja.

Working with director Srinivas Raju was an unforgettable experience, says Pooja. "Giving equal prominence to 15 actors and getting all of them in one frame was tough. But the director has justified all the characters and has made sure that none of the actors felt out of place," she reasons.

When asked about her best project so far, Pooja says that the 'Dandupalya' series gave her a chance 

to do something dramatically different. But she 

feels that the best is yet to come.

Nina C George