Srinidhi Shetty prefers to let her work do the talking. When she was hounded by the media post the release of KGF Chapter 1, she politely commented, “I would prefer you to see my work first, as I believe I still have not made my mark on the screen.”
The actor says though KGF became a worldwide phenomena, she cannot take credit for it. “When KGF 1 was released, we did not expect it to become such a huge hit. We knew expectations would be high for Chapter 2. Within 24 hours of the teasers and poster being released, the videos crossed the one-million views mark. I am thrilled to be a part of this film at the very beginning of my career.”
The poster of KGF Chapter 2
In KGF Chapter 2, she shares the screen not just with ‘Rocking Star’ Yash, but also with Bollywood actors Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon. Yash even went on to call her “a lucky girl’. “I call myself lucky too, because I started my career with KGF and never dreamt I would be acting with stars such as Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Nagabharana. It was also a treat to watch each of them at work.”
Working with established names pushed her to give her best. “KGF Chapter 1 introduced my character but I had not visited the sets in Kolar as my shooting locations were in Mysuru. I was feeling a little left out after the film was released, as I had no clue what the team was talking about when it came to a particular location. For KGF Chapter 2, however, I visited the sets in Kolar, Ramoji Film City and the many factories, and was bowled over. The locales were a challenge as we shot for long hours amidst smoke, mud, heat and harsh outdoor conditions.”
Srinidhi reveals that she was fascinated with acting since childhood. “Every time I would watch television, I would think about getting to the other side of the screen. I was passionate about dance and acting, but, like most children from middle-class families, I was expected to finish my education.”
Srinidhi in a still from the film
It was only when she grew up, that she decided to try modelling and participate in a beauty pageants and the rest is history.
Though Srinidhi became a household name post KGF Chapter 1 , we did not see her in any other film. Did she lose out on roles having given five years to KGF? “It was a tough decision to take as an actress’ career span is short. I wanted to give my all to KGF and feel it has been worth the wait. Now that Chapter 2 is ready, I feel a little lost as we lived and worked together as one huge family for five years.”
She has signed a Tamil film, Cobra, which she says she cannot talk about now. “KGF changed my perception about acting and choosing films. I am not particular about the number of projects I take on. I am fine doing a handful of films that make a mark.”
Streaming platforms have been a game changer due to the pandemic, the actor concedes. There will always be a section of the audience who will prefer to watch films at home. I am open to OTT releases too but will wait for the right role and script.”
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