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Actor Sameera Reddy on acting comeback after 13 years with a horror-thriller: I was so nervous

Actor Sameera Reddy on acting comeback after 13 years with a horror-thriller: I was so nervous

Hindustan Times14 hours ago
Actor Sameera Reddy will return to the silver screen after 13 years. Last seen in Tezz in 2012, she shares what kept her away for so long. 'A year ago, my son saw my film Race (2008) and asked me, 'Wow, you don't look like that anymore. Mum, why don't you act?' I said, 'Because I've been busy taking care of you and your sister.' He pushed me to reconsider my decision of staying away from showbiz,' she shares. Actor Sameera Reddy
The 46-year-old's comeback project is a horror outing: 'This film fit the bill perfectly. Titled Chimni, it's a hardcore horror-thriller that is slated for release by end of this year. I got excited about it as I've never done something in the genre. I was a part of Darna Mana Hai (2004), but only as a narrator.'
Ask if she had cold feet while facing the camera after over a decade, and she says, 'I was so nervous. People on the set were like, 'Aap toh veteran ho,' and I was like, 'Kya veteran?' I knew I had to start from scratch. But the moment I heard 'action', the actor who had been sleeping [inside me] for a long time woke up and I performed according to the director's vision.'
Sameera admits that film-making has advanced in the past decade: 'The kind of technology we have now is amazing. I remember doing a similar scene for Musafir (2004) many times so the director could get the shot from different angles. Today, things are much more sorted with a steadicam system in place.'
Before her return to acting, Sameera was busy enjoying her social media presence, which she started five years ago. "I got to explore the medium around the pandemic, and I felt these were normal issues that every woman goes through. Many celebrities try to hide it, saying, 'Hamare sath aisa nahi hota,' but I wanted to normalise it all, be it issues with kids, in-laws, and primarily aging and weight. I am happy when women followers connect with a big smile, understanding that no one is beyond issues."
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Sameera Reddy reveals her son's reaction to Race made her reconsider return to films after 13 years with horror-thriller Chimni: 'You don't look like that anymore'
Sameera Reddy reveals her son's reaction to Race made her reconsider return to films after 13 years with horror-thriller Chimni: 'You don't look like that anymore'

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Sameera Reddy reveals her son's reaction to Race made her reconsider return to films after 13 years with horror-thriller Chimni: 'You don't look like that anymore'

Sameera Reddy is making a comeback to the silver screen after more than a decade. Last seen in Tezz (2012), she revealed that the decision was sparked by her son's reaction to her old work. About a year ago, he watched her 2008 film Race and told her that she didn't look like that anymore, asking why she wasn't acting. Sameera told him she had been busy raising him and his sister, but her son urged her to reconsider staying away from films. 'A year ago, my son saw my film Race (2008) and asked me, 'Wow, you don't look like that anymore. Mum, why don't you act?' I said, 'Because I've been busy taking care of you and your sister.' He pushed me to reconsider my decision of staying away from showbiz,' she shared. First time in full-fledged horror The 46-year-old's return will be in a genre she has never fully explored before. She said the film, titled Chimni, is a 'hardcore horror-thriller' that will release by the end of this year. While she had a brief stint as a narrator in Darna Mana Hai (2004), this is her first complete horror role. The novelty of the genre, she admitted, was a big draw for her. Nervous but ready Facing the camera again after 13 years was nerve-racking. Crew members on set referred to her as a veteran, but she laughed it off, saying she felt like she was starting from scratch. The moment the director called 'action,' though, the actor in her 'woke up' and she was able to perform with full conviction. Sameera Reddy reveals the 'scariest' incident in her life as a mother Sameera observed that the industry has changed significantly since her last outing. She pointed out how filming technology had become more efficient, recalling that during Musafir (2004), she had to repeat the same scene multiple times for different angles, whereas today's steadicam systems make such work far more streamlined. In her time away from films, Sameera built a strong presence on social media, especially during the pandemic. She used the platform to speak openly about issues many women face — from parenting challenges to aging and weight fluctuations. While she noted that many celebrities prefer to hide such matters, she wanted to normalise them. The connection she has formed with women followers, she said, comes from their shared understanding that 'no one is beyond issues. '

Actor Sameera Reddy on acting comeback after 13 years with a horror-thriller: I was so nervous
Actor Sameera Reddy on acting comeback after 13 years with a horror-thriller: I was so nervous

Hindustan Times

time14 hours ago

  • Hindustan Times

Actor Sameera Reddy on acting comeback after 13 years with a horror-thriller: I was so nervous

Actor Sameera Reddy will return to the silver screen after 13 years. Last seen in Tezz in 2012, she shares what kept her away for so long. 'A year ago, my son saw my film Race (2008) and asked me, 'Wow, you don't look like that anymore. Mum, why don't you act?' I said, 'Because I've been busy taking care of you and your sister.' He pushed me to reconsider my decision of staying away from showbiz,' she shares. Actor Sameera Reddy The 46-year-old's comeback project is a horror outing: 'This film fit the bill perfectly. Titled Chimni, it's a hardcore horror-thriller that is slated for release by end of this year. I got excited about it as I've never done something in the genre. I was a part of Darna Mana Hai (2004), but only as a narrator.' Ask if she had cold feet while facing the camera after over a decade, and she says, 'I was so nervous. People on the set were like, 'Aap toh veteran ho,' and I was like, 'Kya veteran?' I knew I had to start from scratch. But the moment I heard 'action', the actor who had been sleeping [inside me] for a long time woke up and I performed according to the director's vision.' Sameera admits that film-making has advanced in the past decade: 'The kind of technology we have now is amazing. I remember doing a similar scene for Musafir (2004) many times so the director could get the shot from different angles. Today, things are much more sorted with a steadicam system in place.' Before her return to acting, Sameera was busy enjoying her social media presence, which she started five years ago. "I got to explore the medium around the pandemic, and I felt these were normal issues that every woman goes through. Many celebrities try to hide it, saying, 'Hamare sath aisa nahi hota,' but I wanted to normalise it all, be it issues with kids, in-laws, and primarily aging and weight. I am happy when women followers connect with a big smile, understanding that no one is beyond issues."

Premiering at New York India Film Festival was an honour: Manahar Kumar
Premiering at New York India Film Festival was an honour: Manahar Kumar

Time of India

time3 days ago

  • Time of India

Premiering at New York India Film Festival was an honour: Manahar Kumar

A BAFTA newcomer, writer-multiple student EMMY® award winning director, actor, Manahar Kumar's latest short film hush-hush is an exploration of the director's deep dive into oneself. 'My curiosity to own up to who you are, where you want to be, shedding off shame and insecurities of the past, going back to childlike enthusiasm, flaunting flawlessly, accepting yourself, is what led me to the film's subject,' says Manahar about the film that has recently won appreciation when it premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival, 2025. The young filmmaker who studied filmmaking in the US and is in Chandigarh currently, is quickly making inroads into niche genres of cinema. 'One of my shorts, Race, won Honorable Mention at the prestigious Bentonville Film Festival in 2022, and Best India Film at the New York Film Awards,' says Manahar, adding, 'Unfortunately, I couldn't attend both due to film school, budget constraints and the pandemic.' Talking about hush-hush, the story of a timid Philosophy professor who wants to confess his secret of being a closeted crossdresser to his wife before their 10th anniversary, Manahar, says, 'My curiosity with crossdressing arose in film school, Savannah College of Art & Design in Atlanta, Georgia where-in I saw a lot of international students expressing themselves through hair-makeup and their dressing choices, including jewelry and nail polishes, tattoos, etc. This led me to the creation of the protagonist, Taylor.' In several ways, the film is about Manahar questioning his own biases about the spectrum of gender norms, pronouns, sexuality and the LGBTQ+ community. Adds Manahar about the film that has also premiered at Kashish International Queer Film Festival, 'It was an education, entering a new world that was pure, innocent and so kind. Erwin Villenueva, my lead producer and actress Cici Nicole guided me with kindness and empathy. Our rewrites were focused on bringing about what best the character wants and internal conflicts, externally.' For Manahar, his love affair with performing arts began with on-stage in classics like The Night of January 16 (John Graham Whitfield), The Mousetrap (Detective Sergeant Trotter) and 12 Angry Men (Juror No. 8).

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