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| Edited By: Mugdha Kapoor Safaya |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Apr 12, 2022, 10:48 AM IST
Yash starrer KGF Chapter 2 is one of the highly-anticipated films of recent times. Ahead of the film's release, we spoke exclusively to the film's leading lady Srinidhi Shetty aka Reena Desai. During the exclusive tête-à-tête, Srinidhi spoke about singing KGF, cleared the air on reports that she rejected seven films for KGF Chapter 2, and talked about watching RRR, how the latter's success could benefit KGF Chapter 2 and more.
Here's an excerpt from the interview:
Q: You are an electrical engineer, holding multiple beauty pageant titles, and now an actor whose debut film, KGF Chapter 1, was a blockbuster and its yet-to-be-released sequel, KGF Chapter 2, has already been declared a phenomenal hit. Was this always how you looked at your career shaping up?
A: Absolutely not. I come from a lower middle class. I went through my own difficulties and struggles, but somewhere I was always this typically hyper kid, who wanted to try everything, who loved watching TV, and movies. I wanted to be on the other side of the camera and I knew that pageants had an age limit. So, I tried out pageants first. But, I also needed to finish my education because that's what your family tells you to do. Either doctor or engineer. So, I had to finish that and then went ahead. In fact, I worked in an IT company as well for some time. That's when I actually felt very suffocated and realised this is not what I want to do. I didn't want to sit in front of a system from six to six and work. That's when I just told enough is enough, and I want to get out and take part in a pageant. So, I worked for it. God's grace, things fell in place, and I won. My director saw my photos in the paper and then he called me for a meeting. So, these things fell in place. When I signed the movie, I did not think that this movie could so big. We knew that we have a great team with the director Prashant (Neel) and Rocking star Yash, and it'd be a great movie. But then obviously when they started making, it went to another level, and the movie got divided into two parts. When we got on board, it was just KGF, it was just one movie. These are not planned, but it just kept on happening, so I'm just very grateful for that.
Q: You had a brief yet very significant role as Reena Desai in KGF Chapter 1. How much do you resonate with the character?
A: In part 1, Reena Desai was very angry or arrogant all time. And there was not much scope for her. In real life, Srinidhi is a mellowed person. I'm not on those lines of what you saw in Reena in part one. However, I would say that you would see a few more qualities of Reena in part two which I can relate to. You'll see a different Reena...how she's travelling throughout the plot. What important role she's playing in the hero's life. It's a very beautiful character that Prashant has written and as he says in every interview, he's not changed the tone of the film just because KGF 1 became famous. Prashant is very true to the story that he narrated to me in 2016. It is just made on a bigger scale.
Q: Is it true that you rejected 7 films for KGF 2?
A: I actually don't know where this number popped up from. I think somewhere it came, and then every other publication published those articles. But I have never mentioned it officially that it was seven. I did get a couple of movies after parts one and two, but I did not find anything that interesting that I wanted to do. Also, I wanted this KGF to come out. So, I did leave a few of the projects that came my way. I will reveal numbers somewhere down the line, but seven is not the right number.
Q: You also spoke about your contemporaries already having done 10-12 films. Do you regret that you were not able to take up as many projects?
A; So, after KGF 1, all the movies that came in my way didn't work out. And there was a reason why it did not work out, why I did not take it up. There are absolutely no regrets because it was my conscious choice that I did not take them up. It was with full consciousness that I did not take those projects because I probably did not like the script or my character, or did not want to work on them. So, absolutely no regrets there. I always say, for me, it is the quality that matters, not the quantity. So even if 10 years down the line, when I see my filmography, even if there are just 5 or 10 movies, I want to be happy and say that I did only those movies that I really wanted to do.
Q: While there's a lot of anticipation for KGF Chapter 2, another pan-India film from down South, RRR, created history at the box office. Have you seen the film?
A: I did go to theatres to watch RRR, but I didn't see the second half, as I had another urgent meeting to attend. But I'm going again in to watch the entire movie. Even the first half of the film was very amazing. Ultimately, it's Rajamouli sir...we don't have any words for his work. He always creates larger-than-life movies. He makes sure that every frame of film has a lasting effect. I was absolutely thrilled after watching the first half.
Q: Do you think RRR's success is going to benefit KGF Chapter 2?
A: Rajmouli sir paved the way for all of us. It's because of him the lines are blurred and we are thinking like a one-big industry. After the super success of Baahubali 1 and Baahubali 2, it opened the floodgates and that gave strength to other producers and directors to think big. They understood the fact that if the content is good, people will watch the film, and we can also distribute it all over the country. So, we should always be thankful to him (Rajamouli). The producers can elaborate on the economic calculations, but I feel that's the beauty of art. One person does something, and the other person follows the path. Now, even after KGF, there are so many other new producers or directors who think they can do it.
Q: You recently spoke about your dad not letting you watch Shah Rukh Khan's Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? So was there a time when you used to bunk classes to go watch an SRK film?
A: I come from a lower-middle-class family. I didn't have the luxury to bunk and go watch a film in a theatre. We used to fear our parents, as we had to score well in our studies. Our parents even used to disconnect the cable at home during examinations. But yeah, I do remember my dad not letting me watch Hindi movies. Our parents used to tell us not to watch such love stories, 'you should not watch this film at this age,' and all of that. But I was such an SRK fan from childhood. I wanted to watch Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. I remember, it was around 11 o'clock one night and I wanted to watch Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, but my father took the remote, and he switched it off. He's like, 'you want to watch Kuch Kuch Hota Hai at this age.' I was very upset, I cried myself to sleep, just because, I did not get to watch this movie. I got the opportunity to watch that movie much later. But I understand that our parents wanted us to focus on our studies. However, when I decided on my career, my father was the happiest one to know that I chose to follow my dreams. He's been very supportive.
Q: Have you met Shah Rukh Khan personally? What will you tell him if meet him in person?
A: I did not meet him in person, but I did have an opportunity to share the stage with him. I think, at the 2017 Filmfare awards, I did go up on the stage to present an award for some category. Coincidentally, the host was Shah Rukh Khan. I was very happy, and I was actually kind of taken aback. I didn't know what to talk about. He just announced my name and asked me to present the award. I had no words, I just looked at him with a smile and said thank you. Hopefully, maybe in future, I will get the opportunity to talk to him or work with him. I think it will be an Om Shanti Om moment for me.
Q: So are you planning to do a Bollywood film now?
A: When I started, I thought it (KGF) was a Kannada movie, but then it came in five languages. I think language is not a barrier anymore. If any project comes my way, I like the script and the director's work, then I don't really mind the language. Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kanada, I'm open to all the languages.
Q: First KGF series, then Cobra, does this put pressure on you to choose your films even more carefully? What's next for Srinidhi?
A: There is no such pressure. I know that this whole glitz and glamour world can blur your eyes sometimes. But luckily, I'm not caught up in that. Yes, people do ask me what's next for me. So, the fact is that since I've taken everything so slowly right from the beginning of my career, means I did not succumb to this pressure. I am not in that state where you have to sign the movies for the sake of doing it. KGF 1, KGF 2, and Cobra took three years. I will take my own time. Also, I never took these movies because they were big movies. I signed it as a normal movie with a good team, and then these movies became big during the production. So there is no such aspect that I will stick to big-budget movies. Whatever comes my way, that I feel would enjoy doing, I would like to explore it.
