That Was the First Time I Looked in the Mirror and Said to Myself, ‘I am the Heroine’: Shraddha Srinath

Shraddha Srinath has been a beloved actress for the Telugu audience since ‘Jersey’. She was like the dream girlfriend in ‘Krishna and His Leela’, but Jersey established her as a star. She shared a heartfelt snippet with The Hans India about her childhood and the challenges of conforming to standardized looks for a heroine in the years ahead, while discussing her passion for acting. Daaku Maharaaj has opened a new chapter for her in Telugu cinema.

When Shraddha was just ten, she unknowingly sowed the seeds of her dream to become an actress. She vividly recalls the moment when the iconic 'Kaho Na Pyar Hai' was on TV. Like millions of others, she was mesmerized by Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel's dramatic love story. A specific scene, where Amisha screams for Hrithik’s character to be saved, struck a chord with her.

Little Shraddha locked herself in her room, stood before the mirror, and mimicked the lines with all the drama her young heart could muster: "Mere Rohit ko bachao!" In that moment, a spark ignited—a flair for dramatics that would later become her career.

Fast forward a few years, Shraddha found herself on the sets of her second film in Kannada, still waiting for her first release. She was friendly to everyone, including junior artists, a testament to her humble nature. But the industry’s perception of her wasn’t what she had hoped for.

“I remember one junior artist asking me if I had played sister or friend roles in other movies,” Shraddha shares. “Nobody saw me as a heroine. I had short hair, a different skin tone, and I wasn’t the typical ‘fair beauty pageant’ kind of girl. I was confident in my talent and intellect, but it took me a long time to believe I could also be beautiful in my own way.”

Shraddha’s journey wasn’t just about changing how others saw her—it was about shifting her own perspective. “Looks fade—for everyone, men and women alike. What grows is talent and experience, and that’s what I chose to invest in.”