Sriya Reddy thanks Salaar director Prashanth Neel for giving a complex, brilliant character - ‘It truly takes someone…’

Sriya Reddy was a small-screen sensation in the 2000s, with her career as a television show host paving the way for her career in films. Making her debut with the Vikram-starrer Samurai, she went on to act in multiple industries—Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam—and was also part of an English film at some point. Bharathchandran IPS, Thimiru and Kanchivaram helped her grow in stature.

Also read: Salaar release trailer - A bloody impressive glimpse with an in-form Prabhas

The actress’ career in Telugu cinema barely took off, given that both her initial films, Appudappudu and Amma Cheppindi, did little to boost her prospects and she was busier with her Tamil commitments. After a 17-year-long sabbatical, Sriya is now back with another Telugu film, this week’s biggie Salaar, directed by Prashanth Neel and she is winning rave reviews for her performance as Radha Rama.

After watching the film with crowds today, Sriya believes Radha Rama is ‘poignant, sharp, and with a touch of arrogance’ and incredibly potent on screen. She remembered the moment during the shoot when Prashanth came up to her and said how Radha Rama never smiles. “It truly takes someone confident and secure to craft such a complex and brilliant character for a woman,” she wrote.

“Thank you Prashanth, for nudging me out of my comfort zone; Radha Rama is today exactly how she should be, all thanks to your vision,” Sriya further added. While Sriya was reluctant to take up the film initially, Prashanth was adamant about her presence. He had taken her inputs for the part too and rewrote Radha Rama’s character after the initial round of discussions.

She is cast as the sister of Prithviraj’s character, Varadaraj Mannar, in the film and takes charge of the Khansaar region while her father, Raja Mannar, is away. Besides her powerful, regal avatar, the character has a strong identity with a never-say-die spirit and it is one of the best roles that Prashanth Neel has written for women in his four-film career.

Also read: Salaar Part 1 Ceasefire review - Prabhas returns to form with Prashanth Neel's delectable action drama 

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