Seeking a niche in Tollywood: Iswarya Menon

The makers of Nikhil Siddhartha’s upcoming film announced the actress’s name as the film’s leading lady. For someone who has been enthusiastic about getting into Tollywood, the actress says her announcement was one of the ‘most gratifying moments’.

“I’m glad that the entire team wanted me to come on board. The fact that the film is a spy action thriller, a genre that I haven’t worked on earlier, makes it even more exciting,” says Iswarya.

Iswarya, who’s done a handful of films in Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada, states that getting into Telugu is a testimony to her hard work over the years. “Being part of Tollywood, one of the biggest industries, is truly overwhelming.

Filmmakers have liked my performances in earlier films and have handpicked me for the part. I think it also shows that content is getting universal and language is no more a barrier,” adds the actress.

Iswarya also asserts that she’s looking forward to great work in Telugu. “I’m optimistic that Telugu audiences will welcome me. I don’t have any set plans and just want to go with the flow for now. The language is new to me, but I am excited to learn it. I’ve already started working on it and understanding my lines,” says the actress who is a Malayali by birth.

A trained Bharatanatyam dancer, Iswarya has learned many dance forms, including contemporary and hip-hop. “My first tryst with dance was at the age of 3 years,” she reveals. "My mum loves to dance and got me into classical dance. However, I am also passionate about acting and did commercials during college," she signs off.