Srinidhi Shetty is excited about her upcoming debut in the multilingual KGF. Ahead of the film's release in five languages this week, we caught up with the actor, who says bagging the mega budget Prashanth Neel-directorial opposite Yash came as a surprise to her. "It's yet to sink in. For a debutante, KGF is equivalent to five films, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

One of the main reasons she was chosen for the project was because of her knowledge of Kannada. "Prashanth was clear that they wanted a Kannada girl, which worked to my advantage," says Srinidhi, who unfortunately could not dub for her first film as she is still mastering the various Kannada dialects. 

The engineering graduate, who has won multiple titles at beauty pageants in India and abroad, says acting is something she has dreamt of since childhood. "Growing up, I used to watch serials and was always more interested in knowing what happens behind the scenes." However, she went on to complete her degree, and even got a job as a software developer at an MNC, just to please her parents. But she soon quit her job to follow her dream.

In KGF, she plays Reena, a girl with attitude. The actor tells us that in the upcoming part 1 of the film, she only has limited screen time. "The first part will just introduce me. Along with me, there are a couple of other characters, who have lot of depth in part 2," she says, adding that just 10 per cent of the shoot for part 2 has been completed. 

Though she has faced the camera on several occasions, Srinidhi found acting to be a different ball  game altogether. "My first day of shoot was not inside the studio, but on an open street in Mysuru, with Yash. And owing to his popularity, thousands of people had come to see him." She therefore had to deliver her dialogue in front of all that crowd. "And it was a night shoot, which required me to wear short clothing. I was freezing. I simply blanked out on the first couple of lines." 

While she admits that two-and-half-years is a long time to spend on just one project, she has no regrets. "The makers actually suggested that I take up other projects, but I thought it better to wait. If an established actor like Yash could dedicate so much of his time to one film, there's no reason why I couldn't."

Srinidhi is yet to decide on her next move. "I am looking for a good script, director and role. That's the first lesson I learnt from KGF. Especially after working with Prashanth, I understood the role of a director. As of now, I am yet to give the green signal to any other project," she signs off.