Tollywood’s latest entrants have already bagged projects in Mumbai

Hyderabad: What do Kriti Sanon, Rashi Khanna, Rakul Preet Singh and Saiyami Kher have in common? These young new actresses have managed to get good breaks simultaneously in Tollywood and Bollywood films.

Ironically, the more established stars like Asin, Ileana, Kajal, Tamanna and Taapsee have had South Indian films as a launch pad and only after proving themselves here, they managed to get a break in Bollywood. It didn’t come easy.

But these new entrants are lucky. Kriti Sanon, now in the news for her film Heropanti, opposite Tiger Shroff, made her debut in Telugu opposite none other than superstar Mahesh Babu in 1. Though the film didn’t do well at the box-office, the actress was noticed in the film. And she bagged the lead role in Heropanti.

According to Sukumar, the director of 1, they wanted an actress who could give bulk dates for his film. “We knew the film was going to take a time, so we needed an actress who could come to the sets when required.

“That’s the reason we chose a new girl instead of opting for an established actress. And that’s why we chose Kriti Sanon for 1,” the director added.

Likewise, Rakul Preet Singh is busy in the South and at the same time has earned recognition with Yaariyan in Hindi.
“It wasn’t easy getting the Hindi film. I explored South films, after I finished shooting Yaariyan but my Telugu film Venkatadri Express happened to release before Yaariyan. I’ve also signed a couple of films even before the release of my Hindi film. For me it’s not about the language, I don’t want to completely stick to either Hindi or Telugu,” she says.

Rashi Khanna, who acted in the film Madras Café has bagged two Telugu films; Oohalu Gusagusalade and another untitled one.
Saiyami Kher, Tanvi Azmi’s niece, is making her debut in Telugu with Rey, opposite Sai Dharam Tej, and her Bollywood debut film is with Rakesh Omprakash Mehra. Saiyami has been a model before she entered films. “The Telugu film industry is professional and it feels good to work with them,” she says.

Priya Banerjee, another recent entrant, is from Canada. She made her debut with a Telugu film Kiss opposite Adivi Sesh. She is now heading for Bollywood, where she has signed a three-film deal with Vipul Shah. She is also doing her second Telugu film opposite Sundeep Kishan.
All these young actresses have either participated in beauty pageants or done modelling assignments. They are a confidant lot.

Says Rakul, “Beauty pageants prove to be great launch pads for several talented young girls. And to sustain in the industry, you have to work hard. The film’s success and failure is not in our hands. Just do your best.”