Upendra brought out the actress in me: Soundarya Shreyasi

There will always be a burden of high expectations when a kid of a famous actor enter films. People curiously observe whether the newbie is capable of carrying forward the legacy left by his/her star parent. It is the same case for Soundarya Shreyasi, the daughter of yesteryear actress Dr Jayamala, who has made her debut in Godfather.

Soundarya Shreyasi has got a dream debut in Godfather, as the movie and her performance are getting rave reviews. The debutant, who completed her education in Bangalore and has a diploma in acting from Roshan Taneja Institute, was supposed to make her debut in a Telugu movie titled Mr Premikudu a few years ago. But unfortunately the movie was shelved.

The promising actress has opened up on her first film, her experience, her excitement and more to Oneindia. Here are the excerpts from the interview:

What was your first reaction when the offer came your way considering that you would be playing a female lead opposite superstar Upendra?
I was driving on my way to a resort when my mom called up and told me be about the offer. She said that K Manju was making a movie and Upendra will be the hero. That's all she told me and nothing else was revealed. I just told her that I don't want to listen to the story and asked her to say 'yes', as I was very excited. It is because offers like this do not come everyday.

Did you ever have a second thought about the film as it has multiple female leads?
This is the script that required two women of different characters. For me, it did not matter whether there are two or three female leads in Godfather. All I wanted is to do justice to what I was doing and I thought only about how well I could portray my role.

How do you feel to get good reviews for your performance from audience and critics?
Everybody has taken interest in mentioning my name in reviews. For a debutant, it is an overwhelming feeling. You feel good when someone appreciates your talent and that encourages you to go a long way.

How was it working with Upendra?
Working with Upendra sir was a pleasure and I thank him for giving me this offer. When the reality struck and I landed on the sets, I was nervous. I have seen him on-screen and met him several times but people are different when they work together. However, if it was not for Upendra, I could not have performed so well. He brought out the actress in me and he is responsible for whatever good feedbacks I am receiving.

Would you like to share any special moment that happened during the making?
Special memory will always be the first scene of my life. The take was okay at the first attempt. I always wanted to wrap up the first scene in one take and when the scene was okay, we were all looking at the monitor and Upendra sir said, "Yenu yella ninthkonda nodtha edira? chappale hodiri" (What are you guys looking at? Give her a huge round of applause.) That was very special for me and it was a great feeling.

The fact that you are the daughter of Dr Jayamala made the audience expect a lot from you. Were you confident of rising above the pressure of expectations?
My mother has achieved so much in the industry. People will refer me as Jayamala's daughter and compare whether I am better than her or not. It will obviously happen when you are kid of an actor and I knew that people will have expectations. Frankly speaking, there was some pressure as far as acting is concerned. But by the end of the day, I am a different individual and I have to do my own things.

People believe that you bear some resemblance to Dr Jayamala.
I am happy to get feedbacks from fans that I resemble my mom to some extent. It is good to be a chip off the old block.

Are you open for acting in other industries?
Yes, I am open to work in all the film industries. Though my first preference is for Kannada, I am keen to act in different languages. In fact, I was supposed to act in a Telugu film when my mom was the President of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and people were asking why I was debuting in Telugu being a Kannadiga. Language is no barrier for me.

Have you started getting offers?
Offers could only come your way after your first movie gets released. It is easy to measure my potentials when the movie hit the screens. However, K Manju uncle and amma were talking to each other about the offers at a recently held press meet but they have not revealed anything about it to me. It seems like there are some in the pipeline.

Do you seek you mom's guidance over choosing films?
Frankly speaking, amma decides it. I can just make some suggestions but my mom will have the last word.