It’s been over a year since the release of her last film Kanche and although we heard about Pragya Jaiswal signing several films, nothing really seemed to have worked out for unknown reasons.
Cut to 2017, however, and the story is quite different. Pragya has four films in the pipeline and she’s managed to choose a pretty interesting mix — Manchu Manoj’s Gunturodu, Nagarjuna’s Om Namo Venkatesaya, Nakshatram (ONV) with director Krishna Vamsi and Bellamkonda Srinivas’ next film with director Boyapati Srinivas.
“It has been a hectic few months, juggling between the sets of films. It’s quite amazing how things fell into place all at once. It feels great to be busy, I feel blessed,” she says, reflecting on the past few months.
Interestingly, each of the films is completely different from the other. While she plays a tough-as-nails cop in Nakshatram, ONV sees her go back into an unknown time period. In Gunturodu, she’s the quintessential Telugu film heroine while she is tight-lipped about her role in Boyapati’s film.
In an industry where roles for women are clichéd and run-of-the-mill, Pragya has managed to choose refreshing films. “At times, things come your way in a very unexpected fashion. I always wanted to be part of good films, and work with renowned names but never really had a conscious desire to do something different. And that’s why, when I get to do that, I realise I am really lucky that I am associating with such big names so early in my career. I think Tollywood is in that phase now where there’s a lot on offer for an actress. Right from Kanche, it has been an amazing set-up for me,” she explains.
Was the delay in choosing the next film because there was pressure to match up to Kanche, which was critically acclaimed? “Kanche is a film that will be remembered because it created a huge impact. But, as proud as I am of the film, I understand the need to break off from that mould. Even today, people remember me as Seetha but that’s my challenge — to make them look at me beyond that character and make them accept me every time I don a new avatar. Whether it is a historic film or a commercial film, I want the audience to be surprised,” she says.
Having begun her career as a model, it was the desire to tap her potential even further that pulled Pragya towards acting. And from the passionate ways she talks about her work, it’s evident that she’s happy with the decision. “I am growing to love my work more and more by the day. Switching in and out of characters, meeting new people and learning from such veterans — I don’t think life can get any better for me right now,” she shares.
