Krithi Shetty awaits the theatrical release of 'The Warriorr' this July 14. In this interview, the 'Bangarraju' and 'Uppena' actress talks about her journey so far in the industry, working with actor Ram Pothineni and director N Lingusamy, and more.
She also throws light on her upcoming movies: Nithiin's 'Macherla Niyojakavargam', the untitled Naga Chaitanya-Venkat Prabhu movie, and an untitled Suriya-starrer.
My previous two films, 'Shyam Singha Roy' and 'Bangarraju', were released within a short period of time. 'The Warriorr' is my second release of the year. Director N Lingusamy is someone I have admired ever since I watched his Tamil movie 'Awara' ('Paiyaa' in Tamil) many years ago. When an offer came my way, I was excited about doing an entertainer with him. His heroines are unique characters.
I was nervous while doing 'Bullet Song', given that Ram Pothineni is an energetic dancer. Once the shoot began, my nervousness subsided. The song has a classy feel. The 'Whistle Song', on the other hand, has massy vibes. If I am in a jaunty mood, I would play the latter and dance!
I have played a lovable character in 'The Warriorr' and I hope the audience will find her cute. She is a girl-next-door character with whom you can relate. Maha Lakshmi is a Radio Jockey. The love track between her and the male protagonist will be striking, much as the chemistry between them in the 'Bullet Song' and 'Whistle Song'.
Compared to my characters in my previous three films, this one is more energetic. Lingusamy, the director, is always clear about what he wants. He also emotes so that the actor finds it easy to figure out. He knows how to modulate the voice and all! So, it was not highly challenging for me. I watched a number of podcasts of RJs before the shoot began. I worked on my expressions to play the role authentically.
'iSmart Shankar', 'Ready' and 'Hello Guru Prema Kosame' are some of the movies of Ram that I have watched. He is a high-energy actor. I tried to keep my spirits high while working with him!
I have no combination scenes with Aadhi Pinisetty. He is soft off-screen. In this film, though, he has played a very aggressive part. I liked him a lot in 'Rangasthalam' as well. I have scenes with Nadhiya ma'am, the most after scenes with Ram. She has got a royal look!
'The Warriorr' is coming out in Tamil as well. This is a bi-lingual film. I have also started learning Tamil. Lip sync was easy for my character. Two separate versions were shot only if it was absolutely necessary. The title 'Warrior' might refer to Covid-19 warriors and stuff like that.
People feel that I have been choosy. I choose scripts that suit me, not in terms of whether the project is big or small. I shot for three movies simultaneously last year. At that time, it was not easy at all.
After listening to a narration, I jot down my observations about the character I am playing. That helps me understand the character in-depth. I have the responsibility to entertain the audience. Definitely, there is pressure. If I get entertained while listening to a character, I assume the audience, too, are going to get entertained. Either a script entertains me or it doesn't! I do listen to my mother's opinions. I have only done commercial films so far. The length of my character is not of importance as long as it is effective.
I am doing Suriya sir's movie directed by Bala sir. About 30% of the shoot is over. I am also doing Naga Chaitanya's movie directed by Venkat Prabhu. Both are bilinguals. Bala sir has been very easy to work with. He gives his artists the freedom to interpret a scene as they want. He suggests changes if any after seeing what the actor has to offer. My character in 'Macherla Niyojakavargam' is naive and innocent. 'Aa Ammayi Gurinchi Meeku Cheppali', starring Sudheer Babu and directed by Mohankrishna Indraganti, is among my other upcoming movies.
An action role is my dream role. That would be a challenging role. If I connect with a character strongly, I tend to cry if it is an emotional scene. If it is a happy scene, I break into laughter for real.
