Varsha Giridhar is making her acting debut with Lo Naveena, a journey that began with hesitation at home and eventually turned into a leap of faith. The techie-turned-actor shares that cinema always remained a distant dream rather than a planned career choice. “I am a proper IT girl,” says Varsha, adding, “However, since childhood, I have had this wish to act in at least one film. But my parents were against the idea, and honestly, I was also a little innocent and unsure about the industry.”  It was Naveen Sajju, a family friend, who helped change their minds.

“Naveen Sajju convinced my parents. They already knew him from his background in singing, so there was trust. Our entire family sat and listened to the story of Lo Naveena, and that is when they finally agreed.”
Varsha describes the experience of working on the film as a learning process that pushed her out of her comfort zone. To prepare for the role, Naveen encouraged her to watch rooted films and understand the Mandya culture and dialect.

“Naveen asked me to watch Thithi to get into that world,” she says. “I also watched films with Mandya slang to understand the tone and body language.” She adds that beyond acting, Naveen guided her through the smaller nuances of performance. “I learnt a lot from him on set,” she says.