Between two worlds
Kerala’s newest heroine is no stranger to art. A kuchipudi dancer, Hyderabad-based Sandhya Raju is all set to make her feature film debut in Careful, directed by V K Prakash of Trivandrum Lodge fame. “Ever since I learned to dance, I’ve had a thirst to explore other forms of art. I pursued a visual communication degree and I’ve worked with theatre figures like Vaishali Bisht and Vinay Varma,” says the artiste, who runs Nishrinkala Dance Academy to promote kuchipudi. However, it was her role in the short film Natya—in which she portrays a housewife who still dreams of dancing—that attracted the attention of director VK Prakash.
“I grew up watching dancers from my guru Vempati Chinna Satyam’s academy making it to the big screen. So, getting into movies felt like a natural progression,” explains the actress, adding that she spends her free time watching wildlife documentaries, reading up on evolution, the cosmos and going scuba diving.
In Careful, she steps out of her comfort zone by portraying a journalist named Rachana Nambiar. “What fundamentally drives Rachana is her deep sense of curiosity and determination. It’s rewarding to enact figures who have a task at hand and are fighting the odds to complete it,” she shares.
Ask about her dream role, and the ingrained love for dance resurfaces. “I’d love to do a classical dance-based movie. Ones like what director Kasinadhuni Viswanath used to create,” says Sandhya, who’s busy reading scripts for a couple of offers that have come her way.