‘ I’D LOVE TO GO BACK TO SPORTS’

SAYS PRACHI TEHLAN, THE BASKETBALL PLAYER TURNED ACTRESS, WHO WILL SOON BE SEEN OPPOSITE MAMMOOTTY

A basketball player turned actress, Prachi Tehlan has been part of both the worlds of sports and cinema. And while sports has been a very enriching experience for her, movies are a whole different thrill altogether.

However, both her journeys weren’t easy. Coming from a Jaat family, her wanting to persue a career in sports was highly frowned upon. “Initially my family was completely against me playing sports. Though difficult at first, I was able to convince them that sports can be a much appreciated career, and it was something I was passionate about,” shares Tehlan, who has the perfect height to be a basketball and netball player. After and a 11 netball, year career Tehlan in decided basketball to change paths. “There were not many career opportunities for me to take up in sports. No match fees, and hardly any scholarships. It was difficult to survive on the money I made as a sportsperson. But joining the film industry was never a plan, it was just destiny. Shashi Sumeet production house reached out to me on my Facebook fan page offering me a parallel lead in the daily soap Diya Aur Baati

Hum,” she shares.

Tehlan will soon be seen opposite Mammootty in Sajeev Pillai’s directorial venture Mamankam. And she is all praises for her co- star. “Mammootty is a simple man with many years of experience in the field of cinema. He is very friendly with his co- actors and supports them in every scene to perform better by sharing his expertise. Not to forget his great sense of humour and home- cooked biryani.”

For Tehlan, getting the grip of her character is very important. “I learnt classical dance for one of my solo dances in the film, I memorised all my Malayalam dialogues. I also had to grow my eyesbrows for a natural look since it’s a period drama.”

Talking about her journey in the entertainment industry, she calls it an adventurous one. “It’s one of the most beautiful yet challenging and difficult industries to work in. It always keeps me on my toes because one does not have a permanent job here. After every project you need to start afresh. Over and above, I love travelling and meeting new people and this industry offers every kind of experience in that aspect.”

While she is loving her life as an actress, sports remains her first love. “I would love to go back to sports but the entertainment industry is keeping me on my toes,” she says.

It’s one of the most beautiful yet challenging and difficult industries to work in PRACHI TEHLAN ACTOR