Richa Pannai and Arshin Mehta will be seen in pivotal roles in the upcoming release 'Circle'. Directed by Neelakanta of 'Missamma' fame, the psychological thriller will hit the cinemas on July 7.
In this interview, the actors talk about working with the director, the kind of film 'Circle' is and more.
Bankrolled by MV Sharat Chandra, Venu Babu Addagada, and T Sumalatha Annith Reddy, the thriller is headlined by Sai Ronak, around whose character the whole story revolves.
Richa Panai:
After 'Yamudiki Mogudu', I did 'Chandamama Kathalu' in Telugu. After those two films, I hoped that good offers will come my way. But that didn't happen. I did 'Brundavanamidi Andaridi' that didn't get a release. 'Circle' presents me a good opportunity to make a comeback. I hope you will all like it.
Neelakanta sir is a National Award-winning director. I wanted to work with him, considering I am not a trained actor. I wanted to unlearn and relearn under his guidance. I am a very instinctive actor. I act however I want to. On the other hand, he is very particular about each and every expression. I have played a bold and challenging role.
Besides me and Arshin, there are two other important female characters in 'Circle'. We all revolve around the male lead's life. I am a liberated painter who is modern in her outlook. It was a refreshing role to play.
Life is like a circle. Everything comes back to you. You throw love, love will come back. If you throw back hate, hate will come back to you. There is suspense, romance, action and music in the film. There are two montage songs that are so atypical. They are real and raw, not escapist. I have dubbed for my character. The director was particular that I have to do the dubbing.
Nowadays, people are switching their professions so easily. They move to a different field every 5-10 years. I have opened a multi-functional cafe in Mumbai. I have been very busy with that for the past one year. On the film front, I am hoping for exciting projects to come my way. Tollywood is a beautiful industry, which is overtaking Bollywood. As an actor, I have always been curious.
Arshin Mehta:
I played a short role in 'Bajrangi Bhaijan' (Hindi). I am a CA by qualification. But I have always been passionate about acting. I started giving auditions at a young age. Doing short roles and TV commercials boosted my confidence. I did a movie under the production of Hindi actor Suniel Shetty. A couple of other Hindi movies have also come from me. I also did a festival circuit movie.
Everyone in my family is highly educated. Pursuing CA was a natural course of action for me. But there has always been an actor inside me. I used to stand in front of a mirror and imitate Kajol as a child.
Usually, when someone becomes a CA, they stick to that profession for the rest of their life. It is a highly remunerative profession. People are surprised that I am living my life after becoming a CA. I would say, there is only one life. Live your dreams.
'Circle' is my first Telugu film. I am playing a Princess who hails from a royal family. I was quite nervous on set. Everyone was warm and loving. The director showed a lot of care. Initially, adapting myself to Telugu was the most challenging aspect. I would learn the lines in the hotel room where I was boarding.
I am continuing to do TV commercials. I have also done a handful of web series. One of the web series is based on the shenanigans of the sand mafia. I have also gone through a few scripts in Telugu. Hopefully, something is in the pipeline.
