Guess who’s making a comeback to Tollywood after 22 years? It’s none other than Nagarjuna’s niece Supriya Yarlagadda. The actress was seen in the role of Nadiya Qureshi, a mysterious agent in the recent hit film, Goodachari. But when the opportunity came knocking, the actress was quite surprised. She says, “Many people come to me with their scripts. So when Sesh (Adivi Sesh) and director Sashi (Sashikiran Tikka) narrated the story, I thought they were joking. They asked me to do the character of Nadiya and said they were serious.”
However, Supriya wasn’t too confident about accepting the role. She reveals, “When they first narrated the script, I told them I wanted to audition first so they could see if they liked it. This is because I acted 22 years ago and I even don’t remember anything.”
Stepping in front of the camera after so many years, things seem very different to her. She says, “I have only little memories of that time. It’s a great time for cinema now as people are creating different roles for all the characters. Earlier there were the stereotypical roles like the hero, heroine and the father. Now, it has changed a lot and people are coming up with different ideas.”
Though she stopped acting, she’s always been in the shadows. “When I choose the career, my grandfather (ANR) told me that I wouldn’t like the acting. But I told him I wanted to learn through experience and I did the film. It didn’t work out. So I decided to do something, instead of sitting at home idly. I asked Nag (Nagarjuna) mama to give me some work. He was producing Aaha and asked me to look into it. That’s how I entered into production. Since then I’ve been a part of the industry and this is a quick transition for me,” says Supriya, adding, “However, facing the camera is tough. I am a private person, so it takes a little time to settle down.”
For Supriya, who looks after production and Annapurna Studios, this film is a big change. “It’s like a stress-buster for me as I put aside my phone and get away from all the regular work,” she says.
Many people still refer to Supriya as Pawan Kalyan’s heroine as she made her debut opposite him. “Yes, I know, it is interesting and what an advantage for this film too. But Kalyan is Kalyan and he is a star. When we did that film I was 18 and he was 25 or 26. But I never thought Kalyan would become this big, even in my wildest dreams also. I still laugh when we meet,” says Supriya.
The actress reveals she likes to play negative roles. “I love to do negative roles and I personally believe I’d suit negative roles,” she says, adding that she’d consider acting if exciting scripts continue to come along. However, direction isn’t her cup of tea. “I believe I have the skill to assemble all the technicians like director, writer and others to one table and make a film. But direction is a fine art job,” she says, adding, “I still write stories but those are very big. And I don’t think they’ll suit films.”
