I WAS DECLARED KARNATAKA CRUSH BY FANS: AAKANKSHA

Aakanksha Singh, who made her Kannada film debut alongside Kichcha Sudeep in Pailwaan (2019), feels that Covid-19 ruined her chances of starring in more Kannada movies. “I still get messages from fans asking me when I will do another Kannada film. I remember after Pailwaan released — there’s this song in the film called Dorassani, which means my dear — and my fans there changed my name to Dorassani. They even declared me Karnataka crush! I feel grateful for all the love,” she recalls.

Interestingly, while working on the sports drama, Singh got offered another Kannada film, but she had to turn it down as her dates were blocked for Pailwaan. Even after its release, the actor got two more film offers, but her characters were similar to the ones in her debut, hence she turned them down. “I wasn’t just playing a love interest or a wife in Pailwaan. It was a beautiful, emotional and important role. I’m always on the lookout for such meaningful parts that would satisfy my creative urge,” says the actor, adding that working with Sudeep has been one of the best experiences of her life. “The stature he has built through his work and the way he carries himself, is amazing. He is a wonderful human being. He looks serious but in reality he’s pretty chilled out. I learned so much from him, especially his nuances and how he focuses on every small detail. The biggest compliment I got from him was when he said, ‘You are a very good close-up actor’ and I was like ‘Am I not good in wide shots, should I work on it?’ He explained that my expressions are good and I can say a lot through my eyes even without saying much, which is a good thing,” gushes Singh.

Kichcha Sudeep is a wonderfu l human being. He looks serious pretty but he’s chilled out. AAKANKS

HA SINGH,