After being part of the blockbuster Raajakumara, which marked her debut in Kannada, it wasn't a surprise when Priya Anand signed Orange, directed by Prashant Raj and starring Ganesh. With the film releasing this week, we caught up with the actor, who was on her way to Bengaluru from Chennai.
“Raajakumara directed by Santhosh Ananddram was a surreal experience. The way the audience connected with the film, the reach of its songs was fabulous. Even my grandparents were talking about the film and said that they watched it multiple times,” says Priya. “The success of Raajakumara gave me the option to be choosy. When I signed Orange, I knew that everyone would enjoy the film, as it is a complete package,” she adds.
The actor says that her introduction to Kannada films was through Ganesh's songs. “At one point, every song I liked in Kannada were tracks from his films. When I got an offer from Prashant, I did a bit of research and found that he had worked with Ganesh in Zoom, and I was totally convinced to sign the film.”
Priya says that she hasn’t laughed as much in her whole life, as she did on the sets of Orange. “This film came to me just when I had completed shooting for a serious film like Kayamkulam Kochunni. And so, shooting for Orange felt like a holiday, since I was laughing both on and off screen. It was a much-needed break.”
About her co-star, she says, “Puneeth was so friendly and so was Ganesh. The minute he enters the room, everyone would start smiling. He was a very dedicated actor.”
Priya feels being oneself on-screen is a talent by itself. “Being natural and effective is an art too. Many a time, an actor’s performance goes unnoticed, because she plays it too subtle. And, on the other hand, it is very easy to overact,” she says, adding, “For a romcom, chemistry is everything. A lot has to do with the writing.”
At this point in her career, Priya feels she is at a crossroads. Her ambitions and choices are completely different from what she wanted when she started off. “Right now, I wish to work on women-centric, content-driven films with a message.”
When she joined the industry, she says she was a total stranger. Coming from a foreign country, she had no one but her grandparents here. “No one can say that I was given work because of recommendation. No one can take my hard work away. My parents allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them. It gives me immense pride that these are the things that define who I am,” she signs off.