Borders and language no bar

Having done a Hindi film, Russian-Australian actor Kristina Akheeva is working on her Telugu for ‘Galipatam’

Kristina Akheeva

If you watch Kristina Akheeva in action on the sets, you wouldn’t believe she is a Russian-Australian. Very comfortable with a Telugu script, she reels off dialogues matching her expressions with ease!

How did she bag a Telugu film? Kristina was on a modelling contract and travelling across different countries when she came to India on a modelling assignment (she’s been in the field for five years). That was when she was offered Yamla Pagala Deewana opposite the Deols and her career took off from there. She says, “Acting has always been something I wanted to do from a young age. I studied acting in Australia; so it was always at the back of my mind that I would end up acting. So when I got this offer in Mumbai, I took a break from modelling. Whenever a good script comes my way, language doesn’t matter, I will take it up. All I want is to get excited about the project, and yes I want to take up acting as a career.”

The actor never got a chance to see Hyderabad; the first time she visited Hyderabad was for signing

Galipatam , produced by Sampat Nandi and directed by Naveen. She says rather sadly, “The moment I had a day off I would go off to Mumbai. I didn’t have time to do other things. I went to the mall, sometimes for dinner at restaurants and eateries and even got lost on the streets, walking around. There is a park by the hotel, so one Sunday I went there to chill around for a few hours and read a book.”

Hard working and accommodative, the actor says there is not much difference between Bollywood and the Telugu film industry, the only disadvantage being the language. “I am a lot better in Hindi. In terms of Telugu, I’ve just started. I can’t say I can speak Telugu, but I worked on it for the film and not for general conversation.

Does she miss her country? She avers, “I had my ups and downs and there have been times when I am really enjoying myself. I do miss my friends and my food and go out of place completely but I meditate, travel and go to ashrams.”

As for her role in

Galipatam , Kristina says she can only reveal that “It’s a romantic film and I am acting opposite Aadi. I am a Telugu girl from Canada, a strong and an independent woman and the story is about his character coming to terms with my belief system.”