For a workaholic actor like Hariprriya, who loves experimenting with various roles, taking up a comedy was a bit of a relief from heavier projects. “Though humour is by no means easy, the atmosphere of a comedy film is always lighter, and provides stress relief,” she says about her upcoming romantic comedy, Ellide Illi Tanaka, in which she is paired opposite Srujan Lokesh. The film, made under the banner of Lokesh Production, is set for release this Friday.

Hariprriya plays Nandini (incidentally the most preferred name for a female lead in Kannada cinema), the hero’s love interest. The actor says she had more than a couple of reasons for taking up the project. “To begin with, I was working with my good friend, Srujan Lokesh, whom I have known for 10 years, and he is venturing into production with a feature film. Secondly, Ellide Illi Tanaka is a comedy and family entertainer, with no restrictions for any age group. All that the audience has to do is laugh their lungs out. I also maintain good working relationships with actors like Sadhu Kokila, Giri and Vishwa, who are part of the film. All of this attracted me to this project. This is one of those set-ups that kept me smiling on and off camera.”

According to Hariprriya, Ellide Illi Tanaka is sort of a relaunch for Srujan, a popular figure on the small screen, as a full-fledged hero. “It is long overdue for him. He is a thorough entertainer, and this film should work for him. And since this film is made under his banner, he has made no compromises,” she adds.