Interview: Sameera Reddy

By: Sima Malhotra

Bollywood logic says there are three common ways to break into the industry: family connection, modeling, or hopping north on the pipeline superhighway from India’s South.

Sameera Reddy thought she punched one of those tickets to Bollywood after her modeling career seamlessly transitioned into an acting career in India’s famed Hindi film industry. Oddly enough, it was not long before Sameera found herself traveling the opposite direction in the South India-to-Bollywood pipeline.

Then again, going against the grain seemed to have worked out for the stunningly attractive model-turned-actress who is now making waves as a successful thespian in India’s Tamil and Malayalam film industries. With the actress discovering strong grounding in Kollywood, Sameera firmly believes she does not have to push the envelope in Bollywood, even though some of her projects down south may be considered by a few as “off-beat.”

The super sexy Sameera Reddy, who has shifted base to the South these days, says she has never ran after producers begging for work, nor will she ever do that.

“I am from the South, and people there love the work I am doing in Southern films. (Until) the time I am getting success, the decision to move there cannot be termed wrong,” the actress told the press. “As far as the question of doing off-beat films goes, I think every actor finds solace in doing good work. When actresses like Bipasha (Basu) and Aishwarya (Rai) get an opportunity to do such kinds of films, even they can’t say no.”

Looking back at her decision, Sameera is glad fate had its way, what with the actress creating quite the buzz and establishing a respectable following down south a mere eight years after she tried to break into Bollywood. In fact, her popularity in Kollywood has many wondering whether we will ever see Sameera come back to Bollywood, especially with her Best Actress nomination in the 2008 Tamil film Vaaranam Aaiyaram followed by leading roles in Oru Naal Varum (Malayalam), Aasal and Naay Pii (both Tamil).

With that, Sameera confessed she has no regrets walking away from Bollywood for the time being, despite landing roles in mainstream Hindi films such as Taxi Number 9211, Race, Red Alert: The War Within and De Dana Dan.

“My last few films were in Tamil and Malayalam, and they received a good response at the box office. After that, I started getting a lot of offers from the South,” Sameera stated. “When you get a good price, you can’t say no to such offers.”

Of course, she does not want to completely cut off opportunities in Bollywood, despite her South Indian roots. (Sameera was born to a Telugu family in Andhra Pradesh.) To that end, if Bollywood does indeed come knocking, she will definitely consider opening the door.

“I never said I don’t want to do Bollywood movies. Until today, my first preference has been Hindi films, but I don’t approach people and beg them for work,” she emphatically told the press. “When I (have gotten) an offer, (there was) nothing new for me to do. I don’t want to remain a showpiece in any film, and that is the reason I am doing less films here. Nowadays, there is a trend that a film has two or three heroines. I don’t want to be a part of such films wherein I have just two or three scenes.”

Still, despite her not being entirely pleased with the Bollywood offers thrown her way, Sameera proudly and staunchly confessed she still expects to be approached for future productions, even if it means she does not get too much work in any given year. (In her eight-year career, Sameera has only been credited with 21 films — a rather low mark for leading Indian actors who have worked that long).

While her lack of familial connections in Bollywood means producers and studio executives will not be barreling down her door anytime soon, Sameera believes she is on the right path and things will work out just fine for her.

“I don’t run after films. Believe me when I say that whatever films I have done ’til now, I was approached for them. I did not run around producers begging for work,” Sameera said. “There is no denying that one gets to do good films, especially when you have a godfather. But in the end, your work matters and gets you success. If one or two films of yours don’t work, everyone starts distancing themselves from you.”

Her hard work seems to be meritoriously working for her in India’s thriving film industries down south, and perhaps her qualitative performances there will eventually result in Sameera traveling in the right direction on the South India-to-Bollywood pipeline. Until that day comes, Sameera has nothing to be upset about, as she is indeed making positive waves as a rising South Indian star.