Teaming up with Vijay for Family Star, Mrunal reflects on how she has risen through the ranks in the Telugu industry by choosing heartfelt stories over BO fads
Mrunal Thakur. Pic/Instagram
Language is secondary, what Mrunal Thakur seeks is moving stories. “I believe in the power of storytelling,” she asserts. This pursuit has taken her from Marathi films to Bollywood, and now Telugu movies. And she is having quite a run down south. After enjoying two hits in Sita Ramam (2022) and Hi Nanna (2023), the actor is now gearing up for her third release, Family Star, with Vijay Deverakonda.
Ask her how rising through the ranks in the Telugu film industry feels, and Thakur says it has opened her up as an artiste. “Working in the south film industry has broadened my horizons as an actor. It has made me realise that while cinema is a global art form, there are nuances specific to different regions. What stands out in southern films is the meticulous attention to character development. Each character is carefully crafted with a defined arc, both on paper and on screen. The shoot times are longer, allowing for a deeper exploration of details, which I find fascinating for my own acting process,” she reflects.
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Interestingly, the actor found her footing in the Telugu movie industry with films that were at odds with box-office trends. At a time when the south film industry has been doling out action entertainers, from the Pushpa franchise to Salaar: Part 1—Ceasefire (2023), both Sita Ramam and Hi Nanna came as a breath of fresh air. “I am glad to be offered romantic films and family dramas in an industry that is dominated by action. For me, it has always been about quality over quantity. I take my time to choose scripts, and I go with what I am feeling about a story.”
Her love for romantic stories has now led her to the Deverakonda-starrer. She couldn’t be happier about teaming up with the Arjun Reddy (2017) actor and director Parasuram. “Vijay embodies simplicity and humility. Having known him for some time, I can attest to his gentle demeanour. Plus, he possesses an arresting screen presence. It has been a privilege to not only share the screen with prominent actors, but also collaborate with some significant talents behind the camera.”
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