It’s not easy to step out of your comfort zone, experiment with yourself and attempt to do things you don’t normally do. South actress Regina Cassandra is doing just that for her upcoming commercial entertainer Subramanyam for Sale.
Regina, who has featured as a simple, girl-next-door avatars in films like Routine Love Story, Kotha Jantha and Ra Ra Krishnayya, has slipped into a much more glamorous look. “I never understood what it takes to be a glamorous heroine, and I now understand how much hard work it takes to be glamorous. I’m normally a simple t-shirt and jeans girl so as an actor I had to step out of my comfort zone and be someone I’m really not,” says the actress.
Directed by Harish Shankar, Subramanyam for Sale tells the story of a young man who takes money to help others in need.
“I play Seetha, an innocent character but she doesn’t want people to see that innocent side of her because she’s scared that they may take her for a ride. She doesn’t show her vulnerable side. There’s also a touch of social media’s influence on her, which makes it relatable to young girls today,” Regina reveals.
The actress, who was previously seen in the 2014 film Pilla Nuvvu Leni Jeevitam, heaps praise on her director Harish and says she brought the best out of her.
“Harish garu has put a lot of effort in my character and has taken it the next level. I’m not a glamorous person in real life and so far I’ve never played a role which defined my physical beauty. Harish garu brought out my glamorous side very well and I never felt vulgar doing it – I liked what I saw on screen,” gushes the 26-year-old.
Regina has also re-united with her Pilla Nuvvu Leni Jeevitam co-star Sai Dharam Tej for the second time in a row, says there’s a world of difference in Tej this time around.
“He has matured as an actor, though he always stayed the same as a person and I hope he stays that way. You can see the hard work put in by the actors to achieve a connectivity between the romantic sequences and fights. Tej has definitely come along way,” she observes.
When asked if she has decided to a glamorous role to survive in the industry and if skin-show is the only way towards success, Regina snaps, “That’s a perception that has been created by the media. You guys have been writing that only if you show skin, you can succeed. But I completely disagree with this thought-process.”
The actress goes on to explain that the reason behind going glamorous was to create an identity for herself.
“Being a public figure, there are a lot of people out there who are following me, observing me and judging me. Therefore I don’t want to restrict myself to doing the same kind of roles. I want to experiment as an actor and carve an identity for myself,” she explains.
With plenty of songs in stunning locales, Regina says she had a blast on the sets of Subramanyam for Sale.
“We travelled from East to West coast in the United States. We would sleep for just a couple of hours and then start shooting again. Also, we stuck together as a group and travelled together so we bonded quite a bit and had a lot of fun,” recalls the actress.
Regina, who has also featured in several Tamil and Kannada films, says she wants to focus more on the Telugu film industry.
“There are a few offers coming from Tamil cinema but I’m very happy being in the Telugu space. I’m not trying to create a division between Tamil and Telugu cinema, but at the moment I’m happy with where I am,” she says.
Subramanyam for Sale, which also features Adah Sharma in an important role, is set to hit screens on September 25.