Teenage actresses flock to T-Town

Did you know that Tamannaah was in class VIII when she debuted in 2003? By the time she was in class XI, her acting career had taken off. ���My college life was brief. The opportunity to get into showbiz was so exciting that I couldn���t let it pass,��� Tamannaah said. Charmme too made her debut when she was just 13. So what���s the right age for actresses to debut in the film industry? Unlike other industries, there���s no legal age limit for anyone to kickstart his or her acting career in film industry.Now, a slew of teenagers are testing waters in tinsel town.
Sayessha
The 17-year-old grand neice of Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu had turned down plenty of movie offers before bagging the lead role in Akhil Akkineni���s debut film. ���I always knew that one day, I���ll become an actress. I never thought of another career option. I am not really nervous about my debut film with Akhil and I���m glad that I am part of a wonderful team,��� Sayessha says.
Malavika Nair
Apparently, Nani had no clue that his co-star Malavika was still a school student. ���I had no clue that she was still in class XI when she shot with us in Nepal. The day I heard that she was preparing for her exams, I freaked out,��� admits Nani. Well, this Malayalee actress was just 13 when she got her first acting offer!
Avika Gor
Avika became a household name as Anandi of Balika Vadhu before debuting with Uyyala Jampala. ���I go for tuitions early morning before my school begins and study on the sets. My mother ensures that I complete my syllabus on time,��� said Avika who was just 16 when she entered Tollywood. Since then she has acted in Lakshmi Raave Maa Intiki and will soon be seen in Cinema Choopistha Mava opposite Raj Tarun.
Thulasi Nair
Radha���s younger daughter, Thulasi Nair was all of 15 when she shot into the limelight with Mani Ratnam���s 2013 film Kadal. The film tanked at the box-office and her next film, Yaan too was an average grosser. But, all said and done, she still has the tag of being Mani Ratnam���s find and only time will tell what���s in store for her next.
Samskruthy Shenoy
Her debut film, Hrudayam Ekkadunnadi went unnoticed, but Samskruthy is unperturbed. ���When I made my debut in Telugu, I couldn't speak a word of Telugu, but the director made sure that I got all the help I needed to learn my lines,��� says the 15-year-old. She sure has time on her hands.
Kruthika Jayakumar
When she made her Tollywood debut with Venkatesh���s Drishyam last year, Kruthika was still in class XII. This year, she has couple of films in the pipeline ��� Vinavayya Ramayya and Kannada film, Boxer. The actress, who is passionate about Bharatanatyam, confesses that she���ll find a way to juggle between her academics, dance and showbiz. ���I will be indebted to my friends and teachers in college, who were very supportive when I decided to act. In fact, I had shot for Drishyam during my summer holidays. I���m quite passionate about dance and want to continue pursuing it,��� she says.
Shriya Sharma
Remember Shriya Sharma, the child artist from Jai Chiranjeeva who played Chiranjeevi���s niece? She made her debut as a lead actress earlier this year in a little-known Telugu film, Gayakudu. ���Even after acting in 15 films over the past 13 years as a child artiste, I wasn���t sure if I really wanted to be an actress. But then, in 2012, I won the national award for my role in Chillar Party and that changed my life completely. That���s when I realised that I have it in me to become an actress,��� says Shriya, who has also played roles in films like Dookudu, Robo, Raccha and Tuneega Tuneega.
Ulka Gupta
Like Avika, Ulka Gupta too began her career on TV as a child artiste in Jhansi Ki Rani. The 17-year-old will soon make her T-Town debut in Andhra Pori opposite Puri Jagannadh���s son, Aakash. And she���s also playing a young Rudhramadevi in Gunasekhar���s period drama, starring Anushka.