CINEFUNDAAZ

It’s not easy staying away from the limelight when the stars are in your favour. But Tollywood’s reclusive diva Anushka Shetty claims the she prefers to talk only movies and nothing more.For someone who struck box-office gold earlier this year with the first blockbuster of 2009 (Arundhati) followed by the glam doll role in Billa, the recent feather in her cap is a special jury award win for the state film award. Eight months after Arundhati tilted the BO in her favour, Anushka admits that while it’s an “honour” to win this award, the time has come to do something “different”.
So for those of you who loved the way the camera flirted with her curves in her bikini babe act in Billa, Anushka is quick to point out that as an actress, she dislikes “being typecast” in a particular image. “The bikini scenes in Billa were vital because they showed me as a seductress. I’d like to say here that outfits define a character and help an actor, say 30 per cent, the rest depends on one’s histrionic skills. It’s possible that I may not get to do a trendsetting film like Arundhati again since these kind of films happen rarely. And I don’t think I’ll repeat the bikini act either,” she says.

So, now she’s going to be in a new avatar in Mahesh Babu’s untitled next. “I have a well-etched out role in the film,” she adds. Sharing screen space with superstar Mahesh has been quite a learning experience for Anushka who’s never worked with him before. “Mahesh is a great co-star. He’s very, very dedicated to his craft. His on screen spontaneity never ceases to amaze me. Actually I have been very lucky with all my co-actors. I’ve only worked with very professional people,” she avers diplomatically.
T-Town’s queen bee is expanding her horizons by doing two big-ticket Kollywood films with Tamil stars Vijay and Suriya. “As actors we shouldn’t worry too much about the language we are going to speak in a film. For me doing good work is important. Vijay is a mainstream Kollywood actor, but in this new film he’s doing something different. In Suriya’s film, I have an interesting role too. For me both these Tamil films are very challenging,” confesses Anushka. Challenging roles in commercial entertainers? “Why not? As an actor I learn something new with each role I do. That for me is also a challenge,” she avers.
She’s signed only one female centric film after Arundhati. Was that a deliberate choice? “I have been deluged with films where the female protagonist is the centre of attention. After one blockbuster, I need to be careful about the kind of female-centric films I do. I am looking for a meaty role that I can sink my teeth into,” she chips in. There have been reports that her whopping price tag has made a lot of filmmakers wary about approaching her. Anushka points out that she’s never been “unreasonable” about her cheque and will always give top priority to the “script”.Anushka who’s been living out of suitcases ever since she turned a multi-lingual actress, loves “travelling” and likes to “master languages,” she elaborates. And since both are necessary for her profession, enjoying them can only make life simpler for her!