Kannada heroines getting stronger in Telugu cinema

The trend of other language heroines seeking to try their luck in Telugu cinema is seen from many years. In recent times, the formula has became more popular. Many directors and producers are preferring heroines who are successful in other languages. Remake formula is also an important factor as the makers are going with the actress who was casted in the original. Recently many Kannada heroines have shifted their menu from Karnataka to Telugu states in search of films with bigger budgets, higher remuneration, and a larger fan following.

The trend was started in olden days from legendary actresses like Saroja Devi and Jayanthi to others like Malashree, Rakshita, Pranitha Subhash and Haripriya. This continues to be flourishing, given the number of heroines in recent years who have gone on to become sought-after faces in Telugu cinema. While actors like Anushka Shetty and Pooja Hegde, who are ruling in Tollywood, can't quite be said to be Kannada actors, though they do have their roots in Karnataka.

Among those who established themselves in Kannada cinema before making the transition to Telugu cinema, Rashmika Mandanna tops the list. This Kodava girl, who has now become a hot favourite in Telugu cinema, made her Telugu debut with "Chalo", co-starring with Naga Shaurya. She won hearts with her performance in "Geetha Govindam" in the same year, in which she played the love interest of Vijay Devarakonda. She gained huge fan base after her critically appreciated performance in "Dear Comrade" which was also opposite to Vijay Devarakonda. Then the actress was starred in successful commercial outings, including Mahesh Babu's "Sarileru Neekevvaru" and Nithin's "Bheeshma". She has become the golden leg in Telugu film industry. Right now, she has many promising projects in her plate which includes "Pushpa" with Allu Arjun and "Aadaalloo Meeku Johaarlu" with Sharwanand.

Rashmika does not make much of the language barrier and expresses gratitude to the Telugu industry for welcoming her with open arms.

Shraddha Srinath, who made her Telugu debut with "Jersey" opposite to Nani comes in the list after Rashmika. The actress has done only two films in Telugu but created an impact with her performance. Her recent film "Krishna and his Leela" starring Siddu Jonnalagadda came out in OTT due to pandemic, yet impressed audience.

Another Kannada heroine who's found the going strong in Telugu is Nabha Natesh, who made her debut with "Nannu Dochukunduvate", the maiden production of actor Sudheer Babu. However, it was her role in the 2019 Puri Jagannadh film, "iSmart Shankar", which brought the spotlight on her and made her a heroine in demand. She believes that the linguistic and cultural similarities help too. There's also Samyuktha Hedge, who was seen in the remake of "Kirik Party" in Telugu while "Rachita Ram" is all set to test her luck with "Super Machi" opposite Kalyaan Dev. Kavya Shetty, a popular name in Kannada films, is gearing up to feature in director Nagashekar's debut "Gurthundaa Seethakalam" alongside actors Satyadev Kancharana and Tamannaah. Kannada heroine "Sreeleela" is also set to get her Telugu launch pad with a remake of the Telugu classic, "Pelli Sandadi".