Sai Pallavi: a bundle of talent

Shekhar Kammula is back with his latest film ‘Fidaa’ which opened on Friday across the world. While this is good news for his fans, the most noticeable thing about this film which has Varun Tej playing the lead role is the casually efficient performance of its heroine- Sai Pallavi- who is one more in the long assembly line of imports from Malayalam cinema.

Her role as a ‘hybrid pilla’, as she calls herself in it, being the child of an inter-religious marriage in the movie has everything going for it – from its infectiously enthusiastic manner to the impact it leaves behind as the film runs its course to a happy ending.

Not often do movie watchers take an immense liking to heroes and heroines who may be big names in other film industries but are yet to be locally introduced in their own. Sai Pallavi, the doctor turned diva, with just about normal looks in the drop-dead gorgeous world of cinema has managed to bag this honour effortlessly.

With her first film, ‘Premam’, that too in Malayalam, two years ago, she was avidly watched for her role as a lecturer named Malar across the southern film industry. Her entry into Malayalam cinema after being a reality show participant in a Tamil TV channel programme over eight years ago is an interesting take on how directors unearth the right faces for the roles they visualise.

A natural before the camera, with a range of expressions which are appealing, it was only a matter of time that she would become hot property all over. She has an upcoming film in Telugu (‘MLA’) while in Tamil, she has two in the pipeline. One can expect a vivacious screen presence every time she is seen there, irrespective of the language she is featured in.

By K Naresh Kumar