Raider of the Bolly arc

Journeying different industries, south to west, the epicentre of Hindi movies has always been an uphill task for actors hailing from South India. It is a near impossible feat for any fresher with barely a few movies in the kitty to make it. However, the other route from Bollywood to south Indian movies has been far more easy, comparatively, for reasons best known to filmmakers encashing their pan India popularity. With a flurry of remakes projects and regular South Indian films emerging as top gainers across the country, Bollywood is looking down south for talented performers.

In Sandalwood itself, stars like the late Dr Vishnuvardhan, B Sarjodevi, Bharathi Vishnuvardhan, late Shankar Nag, Anant Nag, Prakash Raj, Kiccha Sudeep, and more have shone in Bollywood. Recently, Aindrita Ray made her debut in an untitled Bollywood project starring Arbaaz Khan, Vilas Verma and the pretty Kriti Kharbanda who started her filmy journey in Sandalwood has been busy with back-to-back Hindi projects. The latest to join this coveted list is actress Gayathri who rose to fame with the Kannada film Tyson. She essays one of the lead roles in the Ajay Devgan-starrer Raid.

Actress Gayathri speaks about her experience in Raid and the challenging road into Bollywood.

“Though I have so far worked in four Kannada films, I recently did my first Telugu film. I was always based in Mumbai and Raid happens to be my first-ever film auditioned for in Bollywood. Despite making it through, it was not easy as I had to audition for it on three separate occasions, and then there was a look test before I bagged the role of a woman IT officer in the movie,” says Gayathri.

The film also stars Ileana DCruz, and Gayathri plays a lone woman IT officer who will be seen throughout the Raid in one of her most challenging roles.

“Many people felt that it was not the kind of role I should take up for my debut in Bollywood. It is completely raw, I will be seen as a woman IT officer draped in a saree in a complete de glamorous role. Unlike my glamorous ones, here my requirement was to look as bad and sweaty as possible,” she quips.

She feels that one of the main criteria for actors from South India to make it in Bollywood is their diction and body language. “My role in Raid is that of a lady officer with a perfect Lucknawi accent. I had to train hard to be perfect for this one. However, without my knowledge, sometimes my South diction, body language would surface but I would quickly adjust back,” she adds.

Raid showcases the real side of what an IT officer goes through. She says that a lot research and detailing goes into such films, apart from being big in budget with a huge star cast.

Unlike other actresses, Gayathri hopes to do more realistic characters in the days to come, and not just hunt for glamorous roles. She hopes to be part of more Kannada films, which were the ones to give her a big break.