'I've heard there are very few Kannada heroines in the industry'

...says Apoorva, who after a two-year break, returns to the silver screen with director Hari Santhosh's Victory sequel starring Sharan and Ravi Shankar
'I've heard there are very few Kannada heroines in the industry'

When Asha made her debut with actor and director Ravichandran, little did she know that she would be known better by her screen name, Apoorva. Now, two years on, she returns to the silver screen with the Victory sequel, which releases this week. “I took a break to pursue my education, which was a priority for me. At the same time, being a newcomer with no godfathers in the industry, I had to find my own way. This took time,” she says.

Even though Apoorva grew up with the dream of making it big in the film industry, she neither went to acting school nor trained in dance. “I always went around telling people that I would be a heroine. So much so that I was often called 'heroine' during my school and college days,” she says with a laugh. 

Having made her debut with an experimental film, the Victory sequel will be her first commercial outing. “A producer whom I knew connected me to the director of Victory's sequel, and he auditioned me for the role. This role is quite different from my real-life character,” she says. 

While she is happy with the ‘commercial heroine’ tag, Apoorva first wants to test the waters with the response to the Victory sequel. “Expectations from this film are high. Maybe, because the prequel of this film was a success, or because of the star cast. I am hoping that this film will help me get another break,” says Apoorva, who plays a doctor in the rom-com.

Recalling her initial days on the sets of the film, Apoorva says she was nervous to face actors such as Sharan and Ravi Shankar. “There were lengthy dialogues to deliver in front of them, and I just wanted to get it right in the first shot itself. Director Hari Santhosh helped me overcome that fear, and made me comfortable on the sets. I followed the director’s instructions and it worked. I was surprised when Sharan and Ravi Shankar said that even after so many years, they too feel the same way at the start of a new film.”   

While she believes in the luck factor, which she feels is key for any heroine, she also understands the importance of going that extra mile to make a mark. “I have heard that there are few Kannada heroines, which is one of the reasons that a lot them are coming from outside the state. The subject and team we pick are important if we have to find a place in this competitive industry. That’s how I believe we will be able to catch the attention of industry insiders and audience.”

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