Anushka Shetty, whose Telugu movie Ghaati releases on September 5, marks 20 years in cinema this 12 months. She remembers her first day on the units of the 2005 movie Tremendous: “Nagarjuna sir, Sonu Sood and I had been filming at Annapurna Studios, and in the course of the break, Supriya Yarlagadda (the studio director and Nagarjuna’s niece) walked in and we celebrated her birthday.”
“I used to be extraordinarily nervous,” Anushka says. “It took me a few years to search out my footing. Whereas engaged on Vikramarkuduand Arundhati, I reminded myself that millions would want to be in my place. I decided to learn as much as I could and be enriched by the experience. That realisation made the journey enjoyable.”
Some things have not changed. She still feels butterflies at the start of a new film. “The first day is tough; it takes me about a week to settle in.” For her, this phase is not about finding her character’s rhythm — it is about understanding the team. “When talking to a director, cinematographer, or crew, some things are expressed in words, others in pauses. I try to read both, to respond intuitively. If we are going to work together for months, building that understanding helps me explore the character more freely,” she explains.
For Ghaati, director Krish narrated the story to Anushka on Vijayadasami 2023 — 13 years after they first collaborated on Vedam. “Krish is an incredible storyteller. I was floored by both the story and my character, Sheelavathy. Ghaati isn’t a fantasy tale; Krish even showed me newspaper clippings about marijuana cultivation on the Eastern Ghats and how thousands of kilograms were seized and burnt by the police. This story is about the people living on the ghats. At its heart, it’s a beautiful love story between Sheela and Desi Raju (Vikram Prabhu),” she explains.
Rustic motion
The movie additionally options Anushka in motion sequences, which she explains are grounded in emotional reasoning. They showcase Sheela, who carries 100–200 kilograms and treks the ghats, utilizing her bodily energy to defend herself and her group. “The motion isn’t about finesse; it’s about how a local girl would battle. Ram Krishan has choreographed the sequences brilliantly,” she says.
Anushka Shetty in ‘Ghaati’
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An added perk was soaking within the sweeping views of the Jap Ghats alongside the Andhra–Odisha border and assembly the locals. “I met a 102-year-old girl and was surprised by her energy and innocence. Most individuals listed below are untouched by city way of life. A number of the youthful lot are embracing technological developments.” She additionally remembers filming at daybreak on a day that coincided with a regional pageant. “The dawn was spectacular, and the folks on the ghats had been in a celebratory temper. It felt surreal to trek to those areas, usually with no community till we returned to the lodge at evening.”
The necessity to reinvent herself
Reflecting on her journey, Anushka says inhabiting various roles, from Vikramarkudu and Billa to Rudhramadevi, Dimension Zero and Baahubali, has allowed her to maintain reinventing herself. “None of this was deliberate; these movies got here to me on the proper time. To this present day, I maintain (producer) Shyam Prasad Reddy garu in excessive regard. He forged me in Arundhati after I was nonetheless a newcomer.” The socio-fantasy blockbuster proved to be a turning level in her profession.
But, Anushka insists the success of Arundhati by no means dictated her decisions. “Some folks suggested me in opposition to enjoying a intercourse employee like Saroja in Vedam proper after being Jejamma in Arundhati. However I wished to be part of Vedam. I’ve at all times believed that tales come to us for a purpose. I comply with my coronary heart, and within the course of, I’ve had the possibility to work with some actually fantastic folks.”
Anushka Shetty and Vikram Prabhu in ‘Ghaati’
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Particular Association
Anushka acknowledges the viewers’s assist for her eclectic decisions. “Individuals have been so gracious with their love. The least I can do is be trustworthy with my work. On the finish of each movie, what issues to me is that the journey has been stunning. We give years of our life to a undertaking, and I don’t need to look again with regrets.”
Purple flag
What has sustained her, Anushka says, is the intuition to step outdoors her consolation zone. “I’m solely nearly as good as my final movie. If I get too comfy and cease studying, that’s a purple flag. After Arundhati, I used to be provided related roles however I selected to not repeat myself.”
She’s going to subsequent be seen in Baahubali – The Epic, a mixed minimize of the 2 movies, releasing to mark a decade of Baahubali: The Starting.
She can also be wanting ahead to director Rojin Thomas’ Malayalam movie Kathanar, based mostly on the folklore of Kadamattathu Kathanar. “I’m proud that Kathanar is a part of my filmography. My character, Nila, comes from a narrative instructed by a group deeply captivated with cinema.”
Earlier than signing off, Anushka displays on her low-key presence: “I can not put myself on the market forcefully; it has to occur organically. I’m not on social media as a result of I don’t perceive it.”
Revealed – September 03, 2025 07:07 pm IST
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