Singer, actress, anchor and model Shibani Dandekar will make her debut in the South Indian film industry with the Telugu and Malayalam remakes of Hindi film Queen.
Revealing how she landed the offer, Shibani says, “The makers approached me asking if I could do the film in two languages. I was very excited and pleased when I got the opportunity to play Lisa Hayden’s role. I saw the original version of Queen and feel the role has so much to offer. I love to play challenging roles.”
So how did she prepare for the role? “I could easily master Telugu, but picking up Malayalam was challenging. But I love the way it sounds. I have been to the South several times. The picturesque locations were a real treat for the eyes and I also love the culture,” she says, adding, “I have seen South Indian films too. We have a diction coach who teaches me how to emphasise on the words. I have improved on my pronunciation.”
When questioned about the atmosphere on the sets while shooting for multiple languages, Shibani shares, “We even had a French crew on the sets, so there are people speaking in French, Swedish, Malayalam, Tamil, etc.; it was all chaotic (smiles), but at the same time fun too. We were confused too but had a great time.”
Talking about her co-star Tamannaah, Shibani says, “Tamannaah is a lovely co-star and we even worked out together during our France schedule. I had to split my scenes between Tamannaah and Manjima Mohan (who plays the lead in the Malayalam version).”
