Actor Bhagyashri Borse is ecstatic after tasting success with her latest film, Lenin. A breakthrough eluded her right from her debut, Mr Bachchan, the big-ticket Kingdom and the Dulquer Salmaan-starrer Kaantha, in which her performance was widely appreciated. Her rough spell finally came to an end with Lenin, and Bhagyashri can now breathe easy. She believes it was destiny that brought her the film, which was initially set to star Sreeleela. The film stars Akhil Akkineni in the lead and is directed by Murali Kishor Abburu.
Expressing immense joy over her success, Bhagyashri Borse says that Bharathi will stay with her forever. "Yes, the success of Lenin has brought me immense happiness, and the character Bharathi will stay with me for the rest of my life”. Released on July 10, the film continues to perform well at the box office and has earned appreciation from both audiences and critics.
Opening up about her emotional speech at the film’s success meet in Hyderabad, Bhagyashri says she has put her soul into her character. "We put our heart and soul into every film because every project is special to us. With Lenin, we had a beautiful story, and all of us strongly believed in it. Seeing that belief turn into success made me emotional," she shares, that the moment was also her expression of gratitude. The success or failure of her films had no impact on the audience’s love for her. "The audience has showered so much love on me. They have treated me like a Telugu girl and accepted me as one among them. I will always remain grateful for the affection they have shown me.”
Calling Hyderabad her Karmabhoomi, Bhagyashri hopes the special bond with the city lasts a lifetime. "My first opportunity as an actress came from the Telugu film industry, and my acting journey began in Hyderabad. Telugu audiences have always encouraged me with immense love and treated me like one of their own. That's why Hyderabad and the Telugu film industry will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope this bond lasts a lifetime.”
Elaborating on her role from Lenin, Bhagyashri quips that she anticipated this overwhelming positive response. "The moment the director narrated the story, it touched my heart because it was so beautiful. I immediately felt Bharathi had tremendous scope for performance. Seeing audiences embrace the character with so much love makes me truly happy. I consider myself fortunate to have played such a wonderful role.” She goes on to add that the applause she received from actor-producer Nagarjuna has made it even more special to her. "I felt extremely happy when Nagarjuna sir spoke so highly about my performance on stage. His words meant a lot to me and made the appreciation even more special.”
Bhagyashri reveals that she also felt touched after her parents said they were moved by Bharathi’s journey in the film. "My mother called me after watching the film and said she loved it and appreciated my performance. But as a mother, she became emotional after watching the climax of my character. No mother would want to see such an ending. Bharathi's journey deeply moved her. Both my parents are extremely happy with my performance," she says, adding that the keen attention she and Akhil gave to every scene helped improve their on-screen chemistry. "Lenin is essentially the love story of Lenin and Bharathi. We paid great attention to every scene, and that’s why our chemistry looked natural. Akhil is an outstanding dancer and performer. His performance in this film is exceptional, and I sincerely wish him many more successes like this.”
No great story can ever be complete without the producer trusting the director’s vision. She thanks Nagarjuna for standing firmly behind the film. "From the very beginning, Nagarjuna sir had complete faith in Lenin. We all worked very hard, and his encouragement was always with us throughout the journey.”
Hoping to take this momentum forward, Bhagyashri wishes to be part of Rajamouli’s films. "I would love to play queens and princesses in larger-than-life films. Rajamouli sir is a master at making such grand films, and I hope I get the opportunity to work under his direction someday," she says, elaborating that she also has a keen eye for starring in women-centric films, thanks to the success of Maa Inti Bangaram. "After watching Maa Inti Bangaram, I genuinely felt 'Wow.' Samantha was outstanding in the film. She has shown a path for newcomers like us. If I get the opportunity, I would definitely love to do women-centric films like that.”
Opening up about her upcoming films, Bhagyashri says she is currently busy with a Tamil film. "I am currently working on Seyon with Sivakarthikeyan, which is in the shooting stage. I also have a few other projects, and their details will be announced soon. At the same time, I am listening to Telugu scripts. If I come across a role that truly connects with me, I will definitely do it," she signs off.
