Preethi Asrani, who was seen as a prominent kabaddi player in Gopichand's 'Seetimaarr' last year, is also known for films like 'Malli Raava', 'Pressure Cooker', and 'A: Ad Infinitum'. She will be seen as the female lead in the upcoming survival thriller 'Dongalunnaru Jagratha', which is heading to theatres on September 23. Sri Simha Koduri is its male lead.
Producers D Suresh Babu and Sunitha Tati are confident that newcomer Satish Tripura is going to deliver a hit driven by its content. In this interview, Preethi talks about her role in the movie, her upcoming projects, and more.
Excerpts:
I migrated to Hyderabad from Gujarat in 2016. I am not a Telugu. My elder sister Anju Asrani is the inspiration behind my entry into films. I used to attend shootings with her as a child. Whatever I am, I am because of her. I don't take decisions on my own. I discuss scripts with her. My family's moral support has been great. She is a great guide.
I have got a challenging role in 'Dongalunnaru..'. The story itself is quite unique and original. You wouldn't have seen such a film in Telugu before. I am not a regular heroine in it. It has meaning and relevance to the story. Neeraja is the name of my character. She is emotional in nature and represents the thinking of middle-class women.
I don't have a full-fledged role in the movie. As you know, the film is about the male lead being stuck in a car. Other characters flip in and out of the story throughout the film's run-time. Although I am not there throughout, I got to perform well. Neeraja carries herself with grace. She also drives the story on a level. Neeraja is resilient; she can face any obstacle with strength. I am like that in real life. The worlds of Neeraja and Preethi Asrani are different, but both are stubborn!
There is a twist in the story. You won't be able to predict the plot. The film has nothing to do with any robbery or heist. The title, however, is quite apt.
So far, I have played only performance-oriented roles. It's not easy to convey specific emotions. That's a challenge I enjoy facing every day.
It has been an amazing journey doing 'Dongalunnaru..'. This is my first association with Guru Films and Suresh Productions. I hadn't imagined that the film would be so special. The director's vision is clear. That helped us artists to arrive on set with preparedness. We were professional throughout. As for Sri Simha, I couldn't have asked for a better co-actor. He is always focused. The cinematographer had a tough job of canning scenes in the same location in multiple ways. The lighting and the framing couldn't be liberally tinkered with, given the subject. Art director Gandhi created a new world sort of thing. The artists had to get used to the unique location. Samuthirakani is an intellectual and amazing person to work with. Srikanth Iyengar is another co-artist I enjoyed working with.
I have previously done two Tamil movies. I am doing a film with Sasikumar and another film is also coming up in Kollywood. I am doing a cameo on 'Yashoda' (starring Samantha). I am doing a Telugu-language web series with which Annapurna Studios is associated.
A female lead should have a meaningful role. I choose only such roles. It can belong to any genre. I like heroine-centric movies. Actresses like Samantha and Sai Pallavi are delivering power-packed performances.
I rejected a number of offers in the past. I have some self-imposed limitations. I don't accept certain types of roles.
