I want to be a pan-Indian actress: Kiara Advani

Kiara Advani describes 'Vinaya Vidheya Rama' (VVR) as the first mass commercial film in her career. In this interview, she talks about the January 11th film, how doing it was easy, the bonding she shares with Namrata Shirodkar and Upasana, working with Ram Charan and many more.

How was doing 'VVR' different from acting in 'Bharat Ane Nenu'?

Because the film is larger than life in every sense, it was a whole new experience. I must say that 'VVR' is my first mass commercial film in terms of the kind of songs and dances it has. It's a hi-tech reality.

What kind of scenes do you have with Ram Charan in the movie?

Ram and Sita are different when they are with their family and when they are by themselves. With the former, they act traditional; Rama dominates Sita in front of his family members. But otherwise, it's the other way round. It's Sita who gets to boss over Rama. 

How was it working with your co-star?

It was a great experience. I came to know that Charan has described me as his favourite dancing partner. I really enjoyed doing those dances, especially for the song 'Rama Loves Sita'. It's a huge song with 800 dancers and I am keeping my fingers crossed. Because of my spontaneous approach to the role, Charan had to only give reactions to my behaviour.

Was it easy to work with the commercial director Boyapati Srinu?

I am someone who completely surrenders herself to the director's vision. Switching over from 'Bharat Ane Nenu' to this movie was not that difficult. Boyapati sir narrates everything clearly; he does that by making sounds to suggest what kind of BGM it's going to be. Moreover, I could relate to the character in this film. She is both a comic relief as well as fun to be with.

What is it that you look for an actress?

I value quality more than quantity. Your screen time may be 20 minutes or 1 hour. It doesn't matter. You have to captivate the audience. In 'BAN', I had no much screen time. Yet, I made my presence felt. It was a big thing to do so opposite a big star like Mahesh sir.

Coming back to your approach to different roles, what is your biggest preference?

Spontaneity is my preference. Again, it depends on the role. Being yourself works when you are doing slice-of-life and comic characters. In that case, it helps to be natural. Otherwise, you have to prepare yourself for the role. For example, I am playing a Punjabi character in one of my Hindi films. I have trained myself under a tutor to get my body language and speaking style right

It seems you share lots of friendly vibes with the wives of Mahesh Babu and Ram Charan. Isn't it?

Yes, I do. It was Namrata who first wanted me to be launched in Telugu when she watched 'MS Dhoni'. Even before 'BAN' happened, she showed interest in me. That we both are from Mumbai also has helped in our bonding. As for Upasana, she is a sweet host. She sends home food for me and whoever sends home food is a friend for a life time for me. 

You recently commented that Charan has a secret Insta account.

(Laughs). Yes, he has one. Let me tell you that everyone has one. They are all there on Instagram. Charan once joked that he doesn't want to go public with an official Insta account because his wife and I give him enough publicity.

What are your expectations from Tollywood?

I want to do Telugu movies in future as well. I want to be a pan-Indian actress who does all kinds of cinema. After 'Baahubali', we are seeing bilinguals, multilinguals being made. Linguistic boundaries are changing. I never expected my favourite Karan Johar to cast me in 'Lust Stories', which has reached a global audience. I enjoy playing different roles.  'BAN' was a dream launch in Telugu because Mahesh sir is such a big name. The combination of hard work, talent and opportunity matters a lot. The laurels that 'BAN' brought me made me feel confident about myself. I know that if I push myself, I can make an impact.

You are doing the Hindi remake of 'Arjun Reddy', titled 'Kabir Singh'. How is it going?

We recently shot for the climax (Shahid Kapoor is the hero) and it was the first schedule. It came out really well. I have been a huge fan of Vjay Deverakonda, who is an outstanding actor. And, of course, it's difficult to step into the shoes of Shalini Pandey. I know comparisons are going to be there for sure. Sandeep Vanga sir is very happy with how the film is shaping up.