Sridevi shifts focus to Kollywood, rekindling debate on Telugu heroines' opportunities

The debate around the limited opportunities for Telugu-speaking actresses in their home industry has once again resurfaced—this time with actress Sridevi of Court fame making headlines. Despite receiving critical acclaim and audience love for her debut performance, Sridevi has now signed her next project—not in Telugu—but in Tamil cinema.

Sridevi impressed audiences with her acting and dancing prowess in Court, especially through the hit song Premalo. With the film’s success at the box office, many assumed the Telugu industry would embrace her with open arms. However, contrary to expectations, the young actress has now moved towards Kollywood for her next venture, highlighting a persistent issue voiced by several Telugu-speaking heroines in the past.

At a recent launch event, Sridevi was seen at the muhurat of her debut Tamil film, which stars popular producer KJR, known for backing films like Doctor and Hero with Sivakarthikeyan. Interestingly, KJR is making his acting debut through this project, which is being directed by Regan Stanislaus.

This marks his second acting project after his first recently went on floors.

Sridevi’s shift to Tamil cinema echoes the experiences of other Telugu actresses like Swathi Reddy and Eesha Rebba, who have openly admitted that local heroines often aren’t the first choice for Telugu filmmakers. Whether Sridevi didn’t receive any compelling offers post-Court or chose Tamil projects over mediocre roles in Telugu, her decision speaks volumes about the challenges regional talent faces in their own backyard.

The question lingers—why do so many talented Telugu actresses find stronger footing outside their home industry?