Every dream begins somewhere, and for Manisha Kandkur, it began in Ilkal, a small town in Belgaum district, where cinema wasn’t just an escape, but an emotion. Now, based in Bengaluru, she’s living that dream, making her debut splash with Brat, directed by Shashank and starring Krishna. The film is set to release on October 31. Before Brat, Manisha made her Telugu debut with Bhale Unnade alongside Raj Tarun, and now finds herself part of Prabhas' Raja Saab, directed by Maruthi.
Manisha’s cinema journey is unscripted, but one of quiet determination, the kind that doesn’t demand attention but earns it. “I’ve always loved cinema,” she begins. “But it struck me during college that I truly wanted to be part of this world. Once I realised that, I just started paving my way toward it.”
Brat is right up the alley of Shashank, who is synonymous with love stories in Kannada cinema. “Shashank sir and Krishna have been a successful duo with films like Kousalya Supraja Rama. It was great to work with a team that already has such synergy. He has absolute clarity about his vision, and Krishna made it so easy for a newcomer; I never felt like one,” she says.
What truly draws her admiration, however, is Shashank’s sense of balance in storytelling. “I auditioned for Kousalya Supraja Rama earlier, but couldn’t get through. Still, I studied his films; he always gives the heroine importance. Although Brat sounds hero-centric, my character plays a crucial part in the story. That’s Shashank sir’s best quality, the equality he brings between characters.”
Manisha didn’t come with years of acting school behind her; instead, she found her lessons through instinct and observation. “I believe acting is instinctive. You can learn the craft, but the feeling must come from within. I attended workshops in Bengaluru and trained at an acting school in Hyderabad, but my real learning took place on sets. Acting in front of the mirror, understanding emotions, and watching films, it’s a mix of everything. The best classroom is the set.”
Today’s actors are no longer confined by language barriers, a belief Manisha strongly shares. Brat, in fact, is being released in Kannada and several other languages. “I don’t think acting belongs to one language. When a film gives us the chance to reach audiences across regions, we should embrace it. Brat may be rooted in Kannada, but it gives me an entry into different industries.”
In Brat, Manisha plays a soft-spoken, middle-class girl, a contrast to her debut role, which was lively and outspoken. “This role is calm and grounded, the girl next door,” she shares. “I learnt a lot by observing Shashank sir on set. He’s so clear and fast in his direction. That clarity taught me to never let distractions cloud my focus. Clarity in the head means clarity in performance.”
Her Telugu debut opened the right doors, and one of them led straight to Raja Saab. “I started learning Telugu during lockdown, which helped me during auditions,” she recalls. “Maruthi sir noticed my work and offered me Bhale Unnade. Later, he felt that a character in Raja Saab matched my real-life personality. That’s how it happened.”
Talking about how working in Raja Saab felt surreal, she says, “It’s a massive film, and sharing screen space with Prabhas, even in a few scenes, was an amazing experience. Maruthi sir gave me that opportunity, and I owe a big part of my journey to him.”
With Brat just weeks away from release, Manisha admits to feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. “I’m waiting to see how audiences respond. I want to work in every language possible, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, everything. Cinema connects us all, and I want to be part of as many stories as I can,” she concludes.
