Regina Cassandra, who achieved great popularity among Telugu film-goers with her work in films like Subramanyam For Sale and Evaru, is returning to Telugu cinema after a long time with Utsavam. The actress’ last big Telugu project was the 2022 film Saakini Daakini, where she shared screen with Nivetha Thomas. Ahead of Utsavam’s release, the actress spoke about why she decided to do the film and her career trajectory among other subjects.
Utsavam, directed by debutant Arjun Sai, has been a long time in the making. The film, launched over seven years ago, was originally titled Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Also marking the Telugu debut for Dilip Prakash, Utsavam revolves around a love story while also capturing the trials and tribulations faced by theatre artists in present times. The actress is full of praises for Arjun Sai, and his conviction. She states, “The way Arjun first narrated the story, I could tell he has spent a lot of time with theatre artists. He did add a commercial element, but he really wanted to tell a rooted story. That’s what stood out the most — his determination to tell this story as his first film.”
According to Regina, Utsavam will take an empathetic look at lives of theatre artists, and how they manage their lives despite their limited means. The Saakini Daakini actress mentions that while such a subject could be easily approached like a social issue, Utsavam is not preachy in that regards. She adds, “It cannot be a social-issue driven film but rather a commercial movie.”
The ensemble cast of Utsavam boasts some prominent names like Prakash Raj, Brahmandanam, Nasser and Rajendra Prasad. However, considering both the lead actor and director are making their debut with the film, it’s Regina Cassandra who has largely been driving the promotions. The actress states that she doesn’t feel too much pressure while taking on the responsibility of promoting the film as much as possible. She adds, “I have to show the same conviction during the promotions, as I do for my performances—that’s how it always has been.”
Talking about the presence of many veterans in Utsavam, Regina states, “The reason we have so many prominent actors is so that more people come into the theatres. Also, actors like Prakash Raj and Nasser have been theatre artists. So there’s that sense of connectivity to the art form.” The actress asserts that it takes a lot of efforts these days to bring people to the cinema halls. “I feel it’s easier to have an ensemble cast for films like this. I would say, their faces also bring in a lot of audience. I can only do the best in my role but to have people come to the cinemas, it takes a more than a popular actor.”
For the past couple of years, Regina has been busy with projects in multiple languages as well as mediums. After gaining recognition in the Hindi audience belt with Rocket Boys, the actress has since worked in shows like Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke and Farzi. When asked whether she has a set criteria for choosing projects, Regina responds, “Since my first Telugu film, I had only one goal—I want to be a versatile actor. The desire for versatility should never leave me. I want to do all kind of roles that I can, that’s my only goal.” The actress also mentions that she considered multiple factors before accepting a film or series offered to her. “I ask myself, why am I doing it—is it for the character, or do i have a equation with the director or production house, or if the script is that good. Sometimes, I also like to go by my instinct, and try to tap into a new audience segment with a project. If the answer ticks in atleast two-three boxes, I go ahead and do it.”
Regina Cassandra has often talked about her love for sports, and how she thinks her physical built makes her suitable to play an athlete. When asked if she plans on doing a sports drama in near future, Regina replies with a laugh, “It’s only the journalists who ask me this question. But sadly, I haven’t been offered any such films. I hope I get a good script for a sports drama. The actress also notes that in the past few years, many biographical sports-based films have been made across all languages. “So now, if I do any such film, it has to be very different and something that really needs me to be a part of it,” Regina signs off.