Television beckons T-Town actresses

At a time when Tollywood filmmakers are increasingly opting for actresses from popular Hindi TV serials to play lead roles in Telugu films, a reverse trend seems to be emerging. Several actresses, who have been part of Telugu and Tamil films, are making their foray in TV shows and other reality shows for reasons ranging from lack of opportunities in the South to the lure of pan-Indian presence which Hindi TV serials offer.
Among the list of actresses, who will soon be seen on TV, is Scarlett Wilson, whose claim to fame were the item songs in movies like Yevadu and Cameraman Ganga Tho Rambabu. She has been roped in as a contestant in the upcoming season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, a popular dance-reality show. Scarlett says she just couldn���t resist the offer. ���It���s a big opportunity for me and it���s one of the most popular dance shows in the country. Besides, I get to perform in front of judges like Karan Johar and Madhuri Dixit,���she says. In the past, she was part of another dance show called Dare2Dance, where she ���wanted to know how far I could push��� herself. ���But Jhalak...,��� she says, ���Is by far the biggest opportunity I���ve got on TV to reach out to a wider audience.���
Another entrant in this league is former Miss India finalist and actress, Asmita Sood, who will soon be seen in an upcoming TV serial, Badtameez Dil. ���TV shows were never on my mind in the past; however, when I was offered this show, I just couldn���t say no to it, because it will be aired on the biggest TV channel in the country and that too on a prime-time slot. Moreover, I really related to the character, who comes from a small town and makes it big as an entrepreneur,��� she says. Asmita also confesses that she is looking at this move as a step closer to Bollywood. ���I���ve done seven films in Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam and I was pretty happy with the experience; however, I do wish that I had got better roles. I have always been open to change and doing new things in life. Hindi TV shows give you a huge visibility and I see this as a step closer to Bollywood for me.���
Jasmin Bhasin, who has acted in films like Ladies and Gentlemen and Dillunodu, too has been roped in to play the lead role in a serial named Tashan-E-Ishq. Set in Amritsar, the serial is touted as a family drama and Jasmin will be seen playing a Punjabi girl. ���I had been waiting for a long time for interesting roles in the South; however, nothing good was coming my way. That���s when I decided to sign this TV serial. The makers kept asking me to do it for a long time, but I couldn���t take it up in the past due to my commitments in Telugu and Tamil cinema. Acting is my first priority and TV industry has grown leaps and bounds in the past few years,��� she says.���So, it doesn���t really matter whether you are part of films or TV shows, as long as you enjoy the experience,��� Jasmin says.
On the other hand, for actress Tara Alisha, who has acted in films like 100% Love and Money, Money and More Money, it was a rare opportunity to work with Anurag Basu that prompted her to take up a TV series, titled Stories by Rabindranath Tagore. ���Anurag dada is a fantastic story-teller and it was my dream to work with him. It was a huge opportunity for me and it didn���t matter that it was going to be for a TV serial. What was really interesting about the show was that it was shot like a film and I played the role of Ashalatha from Tagore���s Chokker Bali. Everything was meticulously planned and the energy on the sets was fascinating,��� Tara says.
It���s no secret that several Mumbai-based actresses struggle to cope up with the language, when they make their foray into regional cinema. While quite a few have managed to brave all the challenges and stick to doing films in Telugu or Tamil, for other actresses, the experience turned out to be quite uncomfortable.
Preetika Rao, who played one of the lead roles in Arya, Shriya-starrer Chikku Bukku, says, ���I did two South Indian films, while pursuing film-journalism. However, I realised that I wasn���t comfortable because the language was alien to me. Besides, my parents lead a busy life and they cannot accompany me during the shoot. So, I decided to quit acting in South to pursue a course in broadcast journalism and screenplay writing in New York. And once I returned to Mumbai, I got an offer to act in a TV show. My debut on TV, Beintehaa was a huge hit and it was also aired in Pakistan. I am very happy with my decision because it was a big transition from regional to a national platform, along with a global viewership from India, Pakistan, and other countries. Every Bollywood actor wants to be a part of television today.���
Concurring with her opinion is Shraddha Arya, who at one point of time was on the verge of signing a film to be helmed by Krishna Vamsi. ���I didn���t do as many Telugu films in my career, although I did get quite a few offers after my debut film, Godava in 2007. Having said that, I don���t think I planned my career well and I really wanted to do films or TV shows in my own language. I have been part of three TV serials so far and the response has been amazing. One of the most surreal moments of my life was when I got a gift (a book) from a fan of mine from Pakistan. In the book, she wrote everything about what she liked about my role in a TV series, Tumhari Pakhi. The book was called Footprints of Pakhi. When TV shows give you the power to reach out to so many people, I think it was worth the gamble,��� Shraddha Arya says.