Ready to prove that I’m more than just a glam doll: Akshara Gowda

A cameo appearance in Nagarjuna’s

Manmadhudu 2

in 2019 paved the way for Akshara Gowda in

Telugu

cinema. The actress, who has made a name for herself in Tamil and Kannada film industries, has joined the sets of Ram Pothineni’s next with

Lingusamy

, her first full-fledged role in Telugu cinema.

“Despite the limited screen time, Manmadhudu 2 opened a lot of doors for me in Telugu cinema and has given me the opportunities to play the leading lady in big projects here. I feel proud that I made an impact and got noticed even with a small role,” says Akshara.

Tentatively titled

#RaPo19

, her upcoming

Telugu-Tamil

bilingual will push Akshara out of her comfort zone. “I play a Rayalaseema girl in the film. Wearing sarees and half-sarees all the time was really new to me. Director Lingusamy is very particular about everything, from the size of my bindi to my accent. Although I’m fluent in Telugu, speaking in Kadapa dialect was new to me, and so was the body language of a rural girl. My character is simple yet feisty and deeply protective of the man she loves,” shares Akshara.

Apart from #RaPo19, Akshara will also be seen in

Caarthick

Raju’s next, another Telugu-Tamil bilingual. The actress will be seen in both period and modern looks in the film. “I’m known for being glam but the period portion of the film will show people I can be more than just a pretty face. I wasn’t very confident about the traditional costume too at first but Caarthick was sure I could pull it off,” she says.

Now that theatres across the country have opened up, Akshara is optimistic about the revival of film business. “I have mixed feelings about it because coronavirus is not a thing of the past yet and we can’t afford to be complacent. But I do look forward to my films releasing on the big screen,” she says, adding, “I hope everyone gets vaccinated soon and we can beat this virus and go back to watching films in theatres again.”