'I'm a people's person'

In Focus

Regina Cassandra is the newest entrant in the Kannada film industry. This 18-year-old lass who is already a familiar face in Tamil cinema, isn't a wee bit nervous about entering a new industry but exudes oodles of confidence. “I know I can get my way around people, even if they are total strangers. I am a people's person,” says Regina.

Regina was hand-picked by director K M Chaitanya, who was on a hunt for new faces for his upcoming film Suryakanti. She will play the female lead opposite Chetan.

She's thrilled that she's co-starring with perhaps the hottest newcomer in Sandalwood.

“I had heard that I am going to be working with this guy who everybody, mostly girls, adore. And I was just as eager to meet him. I must say, I never thought he would be so down-to-earth, modest and extremely friendly. We pull each other’s leg and I have never felt an awkward moment with him,” Regina told Metrolife.

Regina is not new to acting. She began anchoring an ad show for kids called, Splash, when she was barely four years old. She then acted out the role of a sister in Kanda Naal Mudhal and as a heroine when she was 16 in Azhagiya Asura.

Grounded and focused, Regina hasn't let the glamour and fame of the film industry hit her. She’s keen on acting as a full-time profession but only after she completes her graduation. Till then acting will be her vacation vocation. “All credit goes to my mother who is most supportive. She pulls me down to the ground whenever I fly high. She’s my friend and critic as well,” she says.

Not among those who spend hours in the gym shaping up and obsessed about their skin and hair, Regina says she dances a lot which by itself is a great exercise and plays just about any sport. “I play anything but I have never played cricket. Even if I don't know the sport, I am willing to learn it if somebody will teach me,” she says. She attributes her well-toned body and good looks to walking.

Regina isn't among those willing to bare all to shoot to fame and is confident that she can pull it off without  showing any skin. She's looking at meaningful roles rather than just about anything that comes her way.

In Suryakanti, Regina plays the role of a rich man's daughter who always escapes away from the luxury to help the downtrodden. “Even if I do one movie in a year, I would like to be remembered for that role. I have always wanted to play a mentally retarded girl which I think will be a challenging task.”