From short films to feature films

Jenny is the latest Telugu girl who will be testing her luck in Tollywood with ‘Meeku Meere Maaku Meme’, directed by Hussain Sha Kiran, the brain behind the story of NTR-starrer recent hit ‘Nannaku Prematho’. The Visakhapatnam girl is no novice to the camera, having featured in a handful of short films starting from 2012.

Jenny recalls how it all started, “I never wanted to be an actor. Someone rang me for a short film ‘Misunderstanding’ and I had no clue about short films back then. Later I met the producers and things started to fall in place one after the other. Around the same time I was simultaneously working on a few events besides participating in beauty pageants contests.”

After her first short film, she packed her bags to Hyderabad to purse MBA. However, “I was offered more short films and I had to pick between my job and films. I chose films,” she beams, adding that her parents too, like her, had no inkling about short films when she first expressed her desire to act. “I had to explain them how short films work. They said if I was interested to learn something new, go ahead. They never checked on me how I was doing and gave the liberty to do what I want to. After the release of ‘Misunderstanding’ they were happy.”

It was on the last day of her fourth short film ‘Prayanam’ that Hussain Sha noticed her. “He spotted me helping out the production guys and later enquired about me with my director. I’ve met him later for a story briefing. It was after a couple of rounds of talks, I said yes to the project and in the next moment, he says, ‘We are starting from tomorrow.’ That was crazy,” she recalls, adding that she always wanted to make a transition to feature films with a short filmmaker and Hussain Sha, with YouTube smash hits like ‘Onti Ganta’, ‘Shadow’ and ‘What’s In a Name?’ was one. “It was like what I wished came true. Wow!”

Talking about her character in ‘Meeku Meere Maaku Meme’, the 2012 Ms Vizag first runner-up shares, “I play a girl-next-door Tanu. She is chilled out and showers unconditional love towards Aadhi (played by Tarun), expecting nothing in return. The director has designed a very casual look for me.”
She has also shot for Nara Rohith-starrer ‘Kathalo Rajakumari’ in which she plays Namitha Pramod’s younger sister. “It’s a bubbly role and I shot for it in Araku. I will be seen mostly in second half and people will have a smile on their face whenever I appear on screen,” she promises, signing off.