Pragya Jaiswal is open to new content
The 'Kanche' actor shares 'Akhanda' experience, one-year Covid anniversary
Hyderabad: Pragya Jaiswal likes to be called ‘Kanche’ girl. Her character Sitadevi in the Varun Tej-starrer had earned her much praise. “It left such an impact that audiences keep calling me with the character name even now. It’s so nice hearing the compliment. I love being called that way,” she says.
But she hasn’t landed any role that is similar to ‘Kanche’. “That’s a good thing. Yes, in our business as a film actor, we should explore different genres. We can’t keep doing periodic films. It should be a mix and match,” she says, adding that the pandemic was a big break and whatever little Telugu she knew, she forgot.
Boyapati, the driving force
Pragya is playing an IAS officer in the upcoming commercial potboiler ‘Akhanda’ in which she is plays love interest of Nandamuri Balakrishna. The actor had her doubts before okaying the project. “I had my set of doubts about how to pull off the role as a bureaucrat. The body language and gestures are not something we’re much aware of. None of my friends are into the service. So, I had to rely completely on Boyapati sir’s vision and method. His clarity and conviction helped me to get into the skin of the character. He knows exactly who’s doing what so when you’re working with a person like him, it doesn’t matter who is in front of you. I have to give my best. It can be Balakrishna garu, Jagapathi Babu sir, Srikanth sir, Prabhakar garu… it can be any actor,” says Pragya.
“So, there was an instance when I was wondering how I was going to do this particular thing. As an actor some days are a little more challenging, right. During one of those days, I went up to Boyapati sir and asked him, ‘Do you think I am really going to pull this off?’ He said ‘there’s no seniority and it doesn’t matter — just be sure to be yourself. Doing it in front of the camera shouldn’t be a concern’,” she adds.
The actor says that her character is as prominent as any other character in the movie. “If you see Boyapati sir’s films, the female characters usually have strong characterisation. That’s where the intensity pulls the viewers,” she adds.
One-year anniversary
Just a month ago, Pragya contracted Covid. “We were on the last schedule of ‘Akhanda’ last month, and after I came back, I contracted the virus. I am not sure where it happened. It could be anywhere. A little unfortunate, but it makes me realise that we can’t let our guards down. We should be very careful, it hasn’t gone, it is still around. Most of us are double vaccinated. To be honest, I am still coming out of it — in a sense that I would expect that the second time would be milder after vaccination. I also had Covid just before shooting for ‘Akhanda’ last year in October. It was a one-year Covid anniversary,” she adds.
Pragya has another big project — ‘Antim: The Final Truth’ starring Bollywood star Salman Khan.
However, she doesn’t wish to spill any beans. Ask her if she has any liking for offbeat stories other than commercial potboilers, she says, “We want to be part of good stories. Today, more than ever, we are living in the best times. There is a scope for all kinds of cinema. Post pandemic, people realised that it’s better to watch films indoors. I want to be part of the commercial cinema but also completely open to new content. Hopefully, ‘Akhanda’ opens new doors soon.”
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