Sri Gouri Priya may have become a familiar face in Tamil cinema, but the actor says her growing association with Kollywood has led to an amusing identity mix-up — even among Telugu audiences. “A lot of Telugu people actually think I’m a Tamilian who came to Tollywood, but that’s not the case. I’m just a Telugu girl who did a little well in Tamil,” Gouri tells Hindustan Times.

The actor, who recently starred in Chennai Love Story, says her comfort with Tamil came gradually. Growing up in Secunderabad, she was exposed to Tamil cinema through dubbed films and songs but never imagined that she would eventually act in the industry herself.

When she was first approached for a Tamil film, Gouri admits she barely understood the language. She began using her film dialogues in everyday conversations while shooting, and by her second Tamil project, Happy Raj, she was comfortable understanding and delivering her lines.

Her connection with Tamil cinema deepened during the pandemic, when she began watching films in their original language rather than relying on dubbed versions. While Lover made her a recognisable face among Tamil audiences, Gouri says their response to her language skills has been equally surprising. “The Tamilians have also equally accepted me and are surprised by my speaking skills. It all just grounds me and pushes me to do better,” she says.

She has now completed work on Bro Club, directed by Karthik Yogi and headlined by Ravi Mohan, with SJ Suryah, Arjun Ashokan, Shraddha Srinath and Malavika Manoj also part of the cast. For now, though, Gouri is deliberately slowing down. After what she describes as an intense and overwhelming year and a half, she is taking a short break while listening to scripts. Bro Club, which she shot last year, is among the projects she is waiting to return to.