Priyanka Upendra on Miss Nandini: I never expected to be cast as a Kannada teacher

There is a usual assumption that heroines have a limited shelf life. But it doesn’t seem to be the case with actor Priyanka Upendra. Previously Malashree set an example by being one of the busiest stars in the industry for a long time, and today, we have Priyanka following the same path. The actor, who has over a dozen films lined up for 2023, will begin the year with Miss Nandini.

“Actors will not have a shelf life if they are passionate about their work. That way, I’m lucky that makers are thinking about me, but it is still a challenge. Being a homemaker and a mother, you are always multitasking. But acting has become a part of my life, and this helps me work towards a social cause. Cinema is a platform where I can make a difference and I want to make good use of it. This is my calling. When opportunity comes my way, I always give my best,” says Priyanka Upendra, ahead of Miss Nandini's release on January 6. 

Directed by Gurudutta, Miss Nandini has Priyanka playing the role of a government school teacher. “The film highlights the condition of government schools, their closure, and a solution for this problem. The film also discusses the importance of the Kannada language,” she adds.

Films discussing the importance of government schools and discussing language issues have been a part of the culture. But do they leave an impact on the audience? “It all depends on how they take it. The intent is to create awareness, through entertainment. The film talks about education and highlights the lack of educational awareness in a few villages. We hope to create a change in such places. If children of politicians, bureaucrats, and all upper-class groups join government schools, the standard will automatically improve. This is the crux of our film.”

Priyanka shares that playing the titular role in Miss Nandini was an enlightening experience. “I got the role at a time I was mostly receiving a lot of horror films. In fact, I never thought I would be cast as a Kannada teacher because of my heritage. But when the director approached me for the role, I took it as a challenge to prove my versatility. When a film touches upon women empowerment, and discusses children issues I would definitely want to be part of it,” says Priyanka.

Priyanka and the team plan to donate the profit coming from the film. “I visited various schools, and interacted with the teachers, and that helped me understand more about government schools. Even though the children come from different backgrounds, they are very inspiring. This film helped me to get close with these children, and I want to do something for them through my foundation,” she signs off.

Miss Nandini also stars Gopal Deshpande, Appanna,  KP Sridhar,  and Bank Janardhan. Bankrolled by the RK banner, the film has Sai Sarvesh scoring the music and Veeresh as the cinematographer.