11 December 2023
Hyderabad
Ashlesha Thakur talks to idlebrain.com on the response to her role in her recent release, Jawan, sharing screen space with Shah Rukh Khan, her maiden Telugu film Shantala, her aspirations and finally The Family Man 3
The phenomenal success of The Family Man series, where she played the much-popular character Dhriti Tiwari, the daughter of Manoj Bajpayee and Priyamani, had landed Ashlesha Thakur a pivotal turn in Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan, which turned out to be a box office behemoth. She played Alia, the daughter of arms dealer Kalee Gaikwad (played by Vijay Sethupathi) in the actioner. “The response to my role was extremely positive. There were a lot of people who loved and liked the film and they messaged me. For me, working with Shah Rukh Khan, Red Chillies and so many talented people in the unit was more than a blessing,” Ashlesha exults in an exclusive conversation.
She admits it was a dream come true moment to have rubbed shoulders with the Bollywood Baadshah. “I got Jawan offer post The Family Man 2 and I latched on to it purely because of SRK; just to work and share screen space with him. I did the film to experience his aura and I’m very grateful to have exchanged certain energy with him,” she rhapsodizes.
Then there was southern sensation Vijay Sethupathi in the film. “We shot for a couple of days. He is someone who is so meticulous and opinionated about his role and character building. As a person, he is so different. He is so into his work and passionate about it,” she gushes.
Ashlesha is now looking forward to the release of her maiden Telugu film Shantala, a period drama presented by KS Ramarao, while Dr Irrinki Suresh produced it. What made her sign the film, which is scheduled to land in theatres on December 15? “I felt the role was a performance-oriented one and the story was powerful. It had something in it. I just went with it. I didn’t think much about who’s doing it, who’s directing or who’s producing it. I found the script to be beautiful in its own way,” she answers.
Talking about the film, directed by Trivikram Seshu, and her role, she adds, “It’s about an innocent girl who comes from a small hamlet. The film is inspired from a true incident that occurred in the tribal thanda located near Halebidu and Belur temples which were built during 1,117 CE. The film is about a girl Shantala who faces her own challenges, is an epitome of strength, talented and at the same time beautiful. Her source of motivation is the Halebidu temple. She is known for her dance and her path is anything but smooth. The core of the story revolves around how Shantala confronts her obstacles and achieves her dreams, making her journey relatable to every woman of the present generation.”
To a question on the prep she had to undertake for her part, she points out, “I had to practice dance because it’s a dance-based film and there were workshops as well. The prep mostly involved learning the basics and technicalities of dance. Moreover, language was difficult to grasp as I don’t come from this part of the world. I had to emote and dance at the same time; it was difficult but I went with the flow. With the language, I got help from my assistant director and the team. They all motivated me to do it. I didn’t know how I did it but I did it in the end. And I was happy how it came out.”
Recently, former Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, saw Shantala in a private screening in Hyderabad and sang praises about the film, hoping that it goes on to win the coveted national award. The actress says she “was so humbled listening to him. I was like, ‘Let me not jinx it’. Let people see the film, shower their blessings and good wishes.”
Ashlesha is someone who is fairly young and seems to be learning on the job. What has she learned from some of the filmmakers she has worked with? “Not just filmmakers, I learn from my co-actors and technicians as well. I’m a curious person and I take one thing from everyone. From Manoj (Bajpayee) sir, I observed that he is so present, alert, prepared and so natural. When it came to Raj & DK, I observed how genuine, true and honest they are towards their work. Atlee is deeply in love with his work. He would do anything to get the shot right. He’s so focused, calm and knows what he wants,” she says, adding, “To keep a long story short, I would just say that I’m grateful for the opportunities I got and I want to work with many more people from South, Bollywood and anywhere in the world. I don’t want to confine myself to just one industry. I’m passionate about my work and I love stories.”
What is her equation with Raj & DK like? “They are my first writers, directors and producers. I look up to them and whatever experience I’m getting now is because of them. My equation with them is more like family to whom you go back for guidance and opinion. The same is with Manoj sir as well; we don’t talk much but whenever we do, we connect from where’ve left off,” she explains.
While she has shot for 10 days in Hyderabad for Shantala, she doesn’t know much about Telugu cinema beyond Pushpa, Sita Ramam, KGF series and Dhanush. “However, I do follow southern music and I like the full-on dance numbers. I know about Anirudh. Also, I really want to work with Ram Charan and Allu Arjun. I watch their films. I’m gonna work with them some day,” she notes with an air of confidence.
She has seen quite a bit of success in streaming. Is she going to leverage that going forward? “It all boils down to how people perceive my work. The opportunities that I got and will be getting, I have to focus on them. I can’t be like, ‘Oh! I have to do this and that. I have to get this manager and have the best people around.’ I would take baby steps. I would take one day at a time,” she states.
Before winding up, it would be a crime if we don’t ask her about the status of The Family Man 3? The question draws a smile as she says, “It’s still in the pre-production stage. They are writing it and prepping for it. Maybe we will start shooting during the middle of next year.”
-NAGARAJ GOUD
