Sreeleela sets sights on pan-India stardom

Time of India

4 days ago

Sreeleela
is on a roll. Having made a name for herself in South Indian cinema, she is now eyeing pan-India stardom. The actress began her career with the Kannada film Kiss. She then went on to star in hits like By Two Love (Kannada), and Dhamaka, Guntur Kaaram, and the National Award-winning Bhagavanth Kesari (Telugu).
Now, she has another Telugu film in the pipeline; she's also stepping into Tamil and Hindi cinema, with projects that include a Bollywood film alongside Kartik Aaryan and her Tamil debut, Parasakthi, opposite Sivakarthikeyan. These roles represent exciting new chapters for the actress, especially the latter, where she says audiences will 'get to see a new side of me.' Excerpts:
'AS AN ARTISTE, I LIKE CHANGING GEARS; IT KEEPS ME ON MY TOES'
Reflecting on the nuances of working across different film industries, Sreeleela says, 'Every language has its own streak, its own flair.
What matters most is understanding what the film demands and what the audience expects. Commercial cinema has its own frequency; Hindi cinema is obviously very different from what I've done. But I like changing gears like that. It keeps me on my toes.'
'ACTING TO ME, IS LIVING THE CHARACTER'
She emphasises the importance of authenticity in her acting, and says, 'I feel like the moment we start acting instead of living the character, it's not authentic anymore. Especially in Hindi cinema, the scripts I've heard are a little more real, a little more my age, very close to my character. In the past, I've played many characters that weren't completely like me — I tapped into different roles. But these last couple of films feel like me, like a plain
me, like how I would really react. I'm excited to bring my authentic self to every screen no matter what language.' 'I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING ROLES THAT FEEL GENUINE'
Talking about the kinds of stories that inspire her both on and off screen, Sreeleela says, 'I've always been a sucker for love stories and romcoms. Now I'm in my early 20s, and that's the vibe I'm in. Core emotions like love stay the same; what changes is how they're expressed in cinema. I want to be part of stories that are true to my age and feelings. Today, we are also seeing a rise in female-led films. I love seeing women tap into those strong, inspiring stories, and I hope to portray such roles myself.
'
I love entertaining, and being able to do it on a wider canvas only makes me happier
Sreeleela