Nidhhi Agerwal: I wanted to be a heroine all my life
Hari Hara Veera Mallu follows a nonconformist character (Pawan) who steals the Koh-i-Noor diamond from the Mughals. The film, which is set to release in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam, is definitely different from the kind of films Nidhhi has starred in her career. Acknowledging that variety is needed to bring out the versatility of an actor, she says, 'A director once told me that in every film, my acting is different because I do not have a personal style yet. I usually just follow the director's instructions. I do not add my own touch to the role unless I need to. I feel like I do not have a pattern yet, or maybe I do.' However, she shares that having a particular style of acting is a double-edged sword. "We run the risk of losing uniqueness while playing different characters, right?"
In what can be construed as Nidhhi making up for all the lost time, she is not just part of the pan-Indian Pawan Kalyan film, but also plays a pivotal role in Prabhas' much-delayed, and yet much-awaited horror comedy, The Raja Saab. In fact, she had to juggle between both these sets. It posed two challenges for her: losing out on regular sleep and sleeping in transit as a result, and maintaining character continuity. However, the actor shares that the fact that both films are of two extreme genres helped her be in character. 'Every set has a completely different vibe. As soon as you enter the Hari Hara Veera Mallu sets or The Raja Saab sets, I am like, 'Ok, I am in this world.' Your surroundings, and the actual set makes a huge difference. With Hari Hara Veera Mallu, it was set in a palace, and there was no blue screen filming involved.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
36 minutes ago
- India.com
Meet actress who started her career with Mahesh Babu at 24, played a surrogate mom at 31, is a National Award winner, her name is....
Before the lights, fame, and awards, Kriti Sanon stood teary-eyed in the middle of a ramp walk, humiliated, shaken, but quietly determined to rise. Today, she's a celebrated actor, a National Award winner, and a rising force in Bollywood, but her journey wasn't all red carpets and spotlights. From a middle-class dreamer to the big screen Born on July 27, 1990, into a humble middle-class family, her father a chartered accountant, her mother a professor, Kriti always dreamed of cinema. She started her film journey in 2014 opposite Mahesh Babu in the Telugu film 1: Nenokkadine, which earned her praise and set her path toward Bollywood. That same year, she made her Hindi debut with Heropanti, co-starring Tiger Shroff. The audience noticed her, and soon, so did the industry. But success didn't come without scars In an early modelling assignment at a farmhouse, Kriti's heel sank into wet soil mid-ramp walk. What followed was a public scolding by her choreographer in front of a crowd. 'I felt humiliated… I cried right there,' she shared in an interview. But instead of breaking her, the moment pushed her harder. 'It made me more focused,' she recalled. 'Mimi' changed everything Though films like Dilwale, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Luka Chuppi, and Raabta built her reputation, it was Mimi (2021), where she played a surrogate mother, that earned Kriti her first National Film Award. Her portrayal was powerful, emotional, and career-defining. Where is she now? At 35, Kriti has worked with some of the industry's biggest names and even turned producer with her upcoming film Do Patti. She's starred in Adipurush, Bhediya, Ganapath, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, and Shehzada, proving her versatility and command over the screen.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Pressured to lose weight, Sridevi fainted on set and lost a tooth. Eventually the movie was never finished
Behind the dazzling image of Sridevi's stardom was a harsh reality marked by relentless pressure to maintain a certain appearance. In a recent interview, filmmaker Pankaj Parashar opened up about an incident that severely impacted both the late actor's health and a film project they were working on. Parashar, who directed Sridevi in Chaalbaaz, blamed filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma for pressuring her to lose weight during their collaboration on the 1991 Telugu film Kshana Kshanam—a push that, he claims, led to a disturbing health episode. Shooting Halted After Sudden Collapse Speaking to Friday Talkies, Parashar shared that filming for his project Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin, which starred Sridevi and Akshay Kumar, was progressing smoothly until Sridevi began an extreme diet regimen. He claimed that Varma kept urging her to slim down, prompting her to eliminate salt from her diet entirely. The result was a dramatic drop in her blood pressure. According to Parashar, Sridevi fainted on set, hit her head on a table, remained unconscious for around 20 minutes, and even lost a tooth. Due to facial injuries, she had to step away from the shoot, effectively derailing the film's schedule. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Project Management Degree Artificial Intelligence Data Science Healthcare others Management Design Thinking Technology Data Analytics PGDM Data Science Others Digital Marketing Finance Cybersecurity Public Policy Leadership Product Management MCA Operations Management MBA CXO healthcare Skills you'll gain: Project Planning & Governance Agile Software Development Practices Project Management Tools & Software Techniques Scrum Framework Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Certificate Programme in IT Project Management Starts on Jun 20, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Portfolio Management Project Planning & Risk Analysis Strategic Project/Portfolio Selection Adaptive & Agile Project Management Duration: 6 Months IIT Delhi Certificate Programme in Project Management Starts on May 30, 2024 Get Details The production never recovered. Parashar said that after the incident, a series of unfortunate events followed—the financer exited the project, the producer passed away, and eventually, he had to abandon the film. Akshay Kumar Reflects on Incomplete Film Years later, actor Akshay Kumar also acknowledged the project's abrupt halt during an appearance on Koffee with Karan. He revealed that the film was never completed, and the 2004 release featured only the footage they had managed to shoot. The climax, where characters vowed revenge, was never filmed. Instead, viewers were met with a written message saying the revenge eventually took place. Boney Kapoor On Pattern of Starving for Roles This wasn't an isolated instance. In a conversation with The New Indian, Sridevi's husband and film producer Boney Kapoor revealed that the late actress often subjected herself to starvation diets to maintain her appearance. He stated that she had experienced blackouts multiple times due to low blood pressure, and doctors had warned her repeatedly. Kapoor also shared that actor Nagarjuna once recalled Sridevi fainting in a bathroom while on another crash diet, leading to a similar injury—she broke a tooth after collapsing. These accounts from those close to Sridevi paint a troubling picture of the toll that constant physical scrutiny and professional pressure can take. Despite her grace on screen, the late actor's journey was marked by episodes of physical strain brought on by demands for perfection.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
A life on the line: South Indian stunt artists battle danger without a safety net
He was the original action hero, a man who dared to do what no one else would. On November 16, 1980, Malayalam superstar Jayan strapped himself to a dream—and a helicopter. While shooting the climax of Kolilakkam in Sholavaram near Chennai, he leapt from a moving motorcycle onto a hovering Bell 47. The scene was already in the can, but Jayan, ever the perfectionist, wanted a retake. What followed was horror: the helicopter spun out of control and crashed. Jayan was killed instantly. He was 41. More than four decades later, the story repeats itself—this time in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. On July 13, 2025, S. Mohanraj, known in the industry as SM Raju, one of Tamil cinema's seasoned stunt masters, died performing a high-speed car stunt for director Pa Ranjith's upcoming film Vettuvam. The vehicle overturned during filming. He was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. These aren't isolated tragedies. Last year, a car chase gone wrong during the filming of Bromance left actors Arjun Ashokan and Sangeet Prathap injured, prompting a Motor Vehicles Department case for overspeeding. In 2016, two stuntmen drowned during the shoot of Masti Gudi, a Kannada film. The two—Uday Raghav and Anil Kumar—jumped from a helicopter into a reservoir without life jackets. They drowned. The film's lead actor, who wore a life jacket, survived.
