Director Prem has kept his word and has brought on board a Kannada heroine for his upcoming film, Ek Love Ya. The film, which marks the launch of Rakshitha’s brother, Raanna, will also be the first film for Reeshma Nanaiah. Made under the Rakshithas Film Factory banner, it also has Rachita Ram in the cast. The music has been scored by Arjun Janya while cinematography is by Mahendra Simha.
The 18-year-old girl from Coorg says she feels lucky to start her career with Prem’s directorial. The actor, who is joining the sets on Wednesday, told CE that this opportunity is like a dream come true for her, since she wanted to become an actor since childhood. She got a message from the director on April Fool’s Day after she won a fashion contest, Reeshma recalled.
“Initially, I thought it was a message from one of my friends who was trying to fool me. But my mother pushed me to respond, and I then learnt that it was a message from the director who wanted me to attend the audition. The very next day, my film journey started,” Reeshma said, adding, “I was always interested in acting. Prem sir is my first teacher.”
Reeshma, who is pursuing her II PUC at Jyothi Nivas, wants to balance her academics with her film career. “This is the best opportunity that any youngster can get. Even my college authorities have happily given me permission,” she said. Reeshma has undergone training for almost three weeks, which helped her come out of the initial nervousness. “The short-term training before facing the arc lights will help me a lot. Prem sir also asked me to visit the sets, so I can get comfortable with the atmosphere.
He tells me that I have to observe what is happening on the film set, and that has been building my confidence. I also had a conversation with Rakshita ma’am, and I have drawn inspiration from her as well,” she said, talking about how she has been a fan of Prem’s films from the time she was 2 years old. “I first danced to the song, Chukubuku railu, from his directorial, Jogi, and I have kept a photo of it as a memory. We used to practise to some of the popular songs from his films. The last movie of his that I watched was The Villain,” she added.
Reeshma stressed that Ek Love Ya is going to be a beautiful love story, and added, “I am all excited to start my journey in films.”