My Life Is Simple And Boring

Ahead of the release of Ghaati, Anushka Shetty opens up about the gap between her recent films, evolving promotional strategies, social media conduct, and the unconditional love from her fans

- AVINASH RAMACHANDRAN

SUPERSTAR. This is a tag that is often given to many actors through the years, across generations, and in various industries. We have seen this label precede some of the biggest names of Indian cinema. It is a simple yet coveted tag that has seen many an actor give it their all and more to have it associated with them, and then some actors are just bestowed with it even if they are not pining for it. One such actor is Anushka Shetty, and fittingly, her upcoming release, Ghaati, is about a woman who inadvertently travels down a path that makes her a legend. "It is the roles that we played that make us who we are today. People might call me a star or see me as a celebrity, but I strongly believe that it is because of the roles I played on screen. From Super to Vikramarkudu to Arundhati to Rudramadevi, and Baahubali... People remember these roles, and that's what makes me what I am today," says Anushka, who doesn't try to downplay her superstar status, but neither does she allow it to keep her down.

Excerpts: Anushka, this is your 20th year in the industry, and you are nearing the 50-film mark. Do you still have nerves before the release?

I have nerves in the first week of the shoot. It feels like the first day of school. I don't know how to deal with it, either. Generally, it gets better after a week. Similarly, I am petrified before and after the release, too. I thought it would have gotten better over the years, but I still have it.

Ghaati takes you to real and unexplored locations along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha Border. Was it liberating to be back on the sets?

I really missed shooting in live locations. You can't beat those superior visuals at all. I was amazed by the beauty of our country and how all of it was still untouched. I got to taste local cuisine, and if not for Ghaati, we wouldn't even have gone to these places, right?

Did they know they were working with a superstar like you?