Shivani : Like dad, I’ll be a great doctor and an excellent actor

She looks more like her mum, Jeevitha, but Shivani seems to have resolved to walk in her dad Rajasekhar’s footsteps. In fact, she’s even gone one step ahead of her dad in making a headstart in showbiz. While her dad got his acting break after practising medicine for a couple of years in Chennai, Shivani will have a film to her credit even before completing her third year at medical school. “Being the daughter of Rajasekhar definitely comes with some privileges,” says Shivani, adding, “My dad is my inspiration. Even after becoming an established actor, he never quit medicine. He continued to practise, I’ve seen him treat so many people successfully over the years. His patients refer to him as a ‘magician’ and believe he’s a better doctor than an actor. I’m just following in his footsteps. Acting and medicine are two things I love the most. And, I’m pretty confident that I’ll be a great doctor and an excellent actor.”
Paired opposite Adivi Sesh in the

Telugu remake of 2 States

, Shivani is reprising the role of Ananya, portrayed by Alia Bhatt in the original. “I chose this as my launch pad, because the character Ananya has so many layers to her. I read the book and watched the film too. In the first half, Ananya is chirpy and glamorous. In the second half, she transforms into an independent, traditional and responsible young lady. I felt it’s a perfect role to begin my career with as it provides scope to prove my acting skills,” says Shivani. Her characterisation in the remake will be a little different though. In the original, Alia played a Tamil brahmin, while here, Shivani plays a Bengali Brahmin who falls in love with a Telugu boy. “The script had to be tweaked a little to suit the sensibilities of our audience,” she explains.
Shivani has been prepping to make her acting debut for a while now. “I’ve learnt the basics of Kuchipudi and I’m taking Kathak lessons and learning belly-dance as well. I can play the keyboard and I’m also learning the guitar. I’ve trained in the basics of Carnatic music and someday, I hope to sing on-screen,” reveals the budding actor, who is working on her fitness presently, undergoing training in kick-boxing.
But how about acting lessons? “Honestly, I think that actors are born. What an acting school can do for you is help overcome the fear of facing the camera and public speaking. My sister (Shivatmika) and I have watched both our parents perform on the sets of so many films all our lives. We saw first hand all the ups and downs they went through. I don’t think there can be any better preparation than that,” she says, adding, “My dad gave me a valuable piece of advice: ‘Imagine you are performing in front of family and friends. That way, you will never feel the fear because you’ll know that no matter what, they’ll always like you’, he said. I intend to follow that.”
So, who are her role models, both in real life as well as on reel? “My dad is both my off-screen and onscreen hero. There are no second thoughts about that. If someone tells me that I am like my mom, I’m thrilled to bits. She’s
a remarkable lady who shaped me into the kind of person I am today, who taught me the importance of giving back to society. In fact, I’ve just donated a part of the proceeds from my first pay cheque to a charity recently. It made me feel very good. Among contemporary actresses, I adore Samantha. she can carry any kind of a role with aplomb. I’m a huge fan of hers,” she says, signing off.