Nupur Sanon admits early on in the interview that she is a bundle of energy wherever she goes. “In fact, when I first met Vamsee sir (Tiger Nageswara Rao director), I jokingly told him that you now have the remote to control me. Adjust the emotions of your character in me accordingly.”
The actor, who is also the younger sister of Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon, will be making her Telugu debut with Tiger Nageswara Rao (TNR) on October 20. Nupur is quick to correct that TNR is not just her Telugu debut, but also her pan-India debut, considering it is releasing in other South Indian languages as well as Hindi, in addition to the Indian Sign Language (ISL).
Her entry into the world of film was long due, given the fact that she has made her maiden appearance in a music video opposite Akshay Kumar way back in 2019.
In the interim, Nupur has also worked in the Disney + Hotstar Original comedy show Pop Kaun and Noorani Chehra, a Hindi film opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Speaking of the trajectory that led to her debut, Nupur says, “I have always been on the lookout for interesting stuff, and that has lead me to opportunities like Filhall, Pop Kaun and now, TNR. As a matter of fact, it is a coincidence that TNR is releasing first, because we have already finished work on Noorani Chehra and it was supposed to release first. That film might now come out on December. But I have no regrets. TNR ticks all the boxes. It is a great production house, there is a really huge star on board, there is a great story and character written for me. The makers will market the film and also present me well. Whats not to like?”
Speaking about her character, Nupur continues, “I play the role of a Marwari character named Sara. This is a full-on commercial role, where I am the kind of a girl where the hero and the entire college is trying to woo her. But at the same time, I do have a lot of scenes that are performance oriented. I am not judging anyone, but I have always wanted to be more than a pretty face. I have always wanted a role that offered me scope to perform as well as look glamorous and Vamsee sir gave me just what I was seeking for in TNR. Vamsee sir in fact told me he found his Sara when he met me, and that gave me a lot of confidence.”
Nupur is particularly effusive whilst expressing her admiration towards Ravi Teja, her co-star. She says, “I have worked before with Akshay Kumar and I had some idea that a lot of these massy, action films we have seen in Bollywood were originally Ravi Teja sir’s films. I was very glad that Anupam (Kher) sir mentioned this in interviews we did in the Mumbai leg of our promotions. He set the blueprint for a mass hero, he is called the Mass Maharaja for a reason. He is extremely supportive towards newcomers, probably because he made it big as a rank outsider himself. He in fact volunteered to give me cues in Hindi when I was struggling with my lines in Telugu. He is a very secure person, someone who puts the film before himself. I had a great experience.”
The actor has had front-view tickets to Kriti’s career for many years, even before she set foot in the industry. Incidentally, Kriti has started her journey as an actor in Telugu cinema, working in films like 1: Nenokkadine (2014) and Dohchay (2015). What insights has Nupur gleamed from her sister’s career?
“Her films in Telugu may not have worked big in the box office, but the fact that she has acted opposite someone as huge as Mahesh Babu so early in her career will always be a win. Through her, I learnt that success cannot be planned.”
On a lighter note, Nupur shares a family anecdote, sharing, “Whenever we as a family watch a film of Kriti’s, we have a meeting the next morning. We all drink chai and dissect Kriti’s performances. Talk about the good, the bad, everything. Now it is my turn with TNR and I don’t feel so great about being the one whose performance will get analysed and torn apart (laughs). It is easy to be the one who shoots criticism, as opposed to someone who has to be on the other end of the firing line. But jokes apart, Kriti has always encouraged me to be the most honest and authentic version of myself in my profession and I hold that advice close to my heart.”
While awaiting the release of TNR and Noorani Chehra, Nupur is keen to expand her horizons in Hindi as well as the Southern industries, while professing her admiration towards the working culture and professionalism in the South.
“I look up to Sai Pallavi, Keerthy Suresh and Anushka Shetty. Their careers are a testament to the South film industry’s beauty standards and versatility in roles, which go beyond the commercial mould. South Indians appreciate and respect simplicity, which is a something I really love. I guess I would like to have roles that embody simplicity and substance come my way in the near future,” says Nupur.