For Kannada audiences, Priya Anand has always felt familiar. Over the years, she has quietly built a relationship with viewers through films such as Orange, Raajakumara, James and Karataka Damanaka. Even while navigating careers in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema, she has maintained a steady presence in Kannada films, returning often enough to feel less like a visiting actor and more like someone who belongs.

Her latest stop is Balaramana Dinagalu, director KM Chaitanya’s gangster drama which is set for a June 26 release. The film has naturally invited comparisons to Aa Dinagalu, the filmmaker’s acclaimed underworld classic that continues to be a reference point for Kannada gangster films nearly two decades later.

But Priya believes audiences are looking at the film through a much broader lens.

“One thing about Chaitanya is that the way he sees people reflects in his stories,” she says. “People remember Aa Dinagalu as a gangster film. He found the softer side of those characters. That comes from who he is as a filmmaker and as a person.”

That perspective extends to Revathi, the character Priya plays in Balaramana Dinagalu.

“My character is not a damsel in distress. Just as the men are shown with their vulnerabilities, the women are written with a lot of strength. For me, that was exciting. Chaitanya hasn’t explored this space since Aa Dinagalu, so there is already a lot of curiosity around the film. Being part of a team that has spent years building this story was something I found very exciting.”

The actor still remembers her first discussion with Chaitanya about the project.

“I met him at a tea shop,” she says, smiling at the memory. “It was one of those conversations that stayed with me. Sometimes people ask what convinced you to do a film, but I genuinely believe films choose you. So many things have to align for you to become part of a project. Taking on Revathi and stepping into that world felt right.”

Gangster dramas are rarely kind to their women. More often than not, female characters exist on the sidelines, functioning as emotional anchors while the men carry the story. Priya insists Balaramana Dinagalu attempts something different.

“When people talk about powerful men, they often mention the woman behind them. It may sound cheesy, but there is truth in that. Everyone needs a sounding board. They need someone who challenges them, supports them and helps them see things differently,” she says, adding, “Revathi is not someone who simply appears in a few scenes and disappears. There are moments written specifically for her. She has agency. She participates in Balarama’s journey. That was important to me.”

For Priya, understanding Chaitanya’s vision mattered more than revisiting his earlier work.

“I didn't need to watch Aa Dinagalu to understand his abilities as a director. What mattered was understanding what he wanted to achieve with Balaramana Dinagalu. Once I understood the emotional world he was creating, everything else fell into place.”

The film also marks her first collaboration with Vinod Prabhakar, an actor whose screen image is closely associated with action entertainers.

Off-screen, however, she discovered someone far removed from that perception.

“I loved working with Vinod. Sometimes what you assume about a person from their image is completely different from who they actually are. With Vinod, what you see is what you get. He is thoughtful, passionate and deeply invested in the filmmaking process.”

What impressed her most was his involvement in the film.

“He genuinely cares about the team. He thinks about scenes, storytelling and execution. He is constantly contributing ideas. I really enjoyed getting to know him and his wife, Nisha, during the film.”

For someone who has spent her career moving between industries, Priya speaks about Kannada cinema with a lot of affection.

“My father is Tamil, my mother has Telugu and Maharashtrian roots, and I have grown up around different cultures with staff from all over. But if I had to choose, I think I would have loved to be a Kannadiga.”

The statement arrives naturally, without calculation.

“I feel a closeness here. I speak so much more Kannada now. The language has become a part of my everyday life. Kannada comes naturally to me.”

That comfort perhaps explains why she has remained relevant without aggressively pursuing visibility.

“I never consciously planned my career. I never had a manager for the longest time. I never approached things with a strategy. I was fortunate to work on good films with memorable music, and that helped.”

She credits songs for keeping audiences connected to her work even during long gaps between releases.

“In every industry I have worked in, I have been lucky to be part of songs that people continue to remember. That matters. Even if there is a break, those songs stay with audiences.”

Today, however, Priya’s priorities are very different from what they were when she entered films.

“I don’t feel the pressure to do something just so people remember me. That isn’t a fear anymore. I would rather be part of something I genuinely enjoy, even if it is a smaller role, than chase something simply because it seems exciting in the moment.”

The actor currently has no new film announcements after Balaramana Dinagalu. Instead, she is focusing on setting up a business and exploring interests outside cinema.

“What I wanted at 20 is very different from what I want now. I moved to India with a one-way ticket because I loved movies so much. That passion is still there. I never want films to become something I do mechanically,” says Priya as she sums up where she finds herself today. “I came to cinema because I loved it. The challenge now is making sure I never lose that feeling.”