Looking for strong characters post Dandupalya: Pooja Gandhi

Pooja Gandhi is proud that she has been the only heroine, who has been a part of all the films in the Dandupalya series. As part 3 is set to be released this week, we ask Pooja, how important these films have been for her career.

“I have grown as an actor. In my 15 years in the industry, I can say that I take home a lot of memories from these three films,” says Pooja.

The actor clarifies that the film does not intend to spread crime. She says, “If people think that Dandupalya has spread crime, or given people ideas about the modus operandi of a crime, then what about the films like Bandit Queen, Killing Veerappan, or even Gandhi, which also showed killings. All said and done, these films are about how not to commit a crime and to learn a lesson from such acts.”

Pooja adds that people watch at least four to five programmes daily that are related to crime. “Not a single day goes by without a crime stories in the papers. So, why blame only films. Dandupalya is a film on crime, but it is also a film with a message - Be aware, there is a criminal next to you, be alert. It is up to you and what you choose to take from an entertainer.”

The actor says that post the Dandupalya films, she is finding it very difficult to choose subjects. “I have been approached with varied roles and stories, but nothing is exciting. Probably as a female actor, I have also started looking at how powerful and strong my character is in a film. This is mainly because of Lakshmi’s role, in the Dandupalya series. It’s a strong role,” she says.

She says people in the Telugu industry who watched the rushes of Dandupalya offered her some projects, but they were ordinary roles and so she did not go ahead. “Having always looked up to heroines like Nandita Das, Vidya Balan, Ayesha Darkar, I now look for a film where we can say ‘more power to women’,” she adds.

Thanks to Pooja maintaining a low profile, there's buzz that she has put an end to her film career. Her take on this is: “I am not answerable to anybody as it’s my choice and my life. I am the decision maker, when it comes to my career and I will decide what I want to do. I have a desire to produce, direct and have already written a script for a short film too. I have big dreams and I am unstoppable,” she signs off.

‘Only facts presented’

The temporary solution given by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has led to the release of few Kannada films this week. And one of these releases is the conclusion of the Dandupalya series directed by Srinivas Raju. Being a bilingual film, it will be released in 320 theatres in Kannada, while the Telugu version is said to be releasing in 600 theatres. “The part 3 of Dandupalya has no blood shed,” says Srinivas Raju, adding, “The first part of the series had my version, second one was the criminals’ version and the last part, which will be out this week, is the police version.” He also takes this opportunity to state that the Dandupalya series “was never fictionalised and only facts were presented.”