Rashri Ponnappa, who makes her debut in Manasu Kottayithu, says Dr Raj is the reason she dared to dream of a career in films Tell us something about your life before you became an actress. 
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BIG DREAMS: After a stint as TV anchor and RJ, Rashri Ponnappa makes her debut in Manasu Kottayithu</td></tr></tbody></table>When I was a student of mass communication in Jyoti Nivas College, I worked as anchor for a show on TV called Comedy Kiladigalu.u00a0 I have also been a radio jockey with Radio One. I did a short course in Human Resource Management and then a course in filmmaking, during which I directed two-documentaries on traffic and environmental pollution. Who inspired you to enter the film industry? Dr Rajkumar. I once saw him shooting for a film near my house. I was a curious kid who kept visiting the sets to stare at him. He was such a down-to-earth actor. He called me over, gotu00a0 someone on the sets to get him a glass of Nandhini milk and offered me the milk with great affection. I was smitten by his charm. Did your stint as RJ and TV show anchor help you as an actress? Everything I did previously helped me as an actor. Anchoring a show taught me to think on my feet and to develop a great deal of confidence. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2009/mar/rjpon2.jpg" align="left" border="1" />I also did a course in acting at the Mahesh Jain Institute in Mumbai. The course helped me pay attention to my body language and voice modification when the camera started rolling. You are making your film debut with two other newcomers Ravi Chetan and Jitender. Was the shoot a picnic or were you all typical nervous newbies? I was very nervous, but once the director called 'action' I calmed down and did what was expected of me. Joe Simon is a very patient director. He made sure that the atmosphere on the sets stayed friendly and professional. What's your take on skin show? I am not comfortable with 'hot' scenes. Manasu Kottayithu is a love story where I play a happy-go-lucky girl who romances two boys! The film has clean fun.u00a0 Glamorous roles or intense ones? Both, although it's very premature for me to be even thinking of picking and choosing roles. I wish to do films that have a positive message. I also want to entertain viewers. Above all, I want to prove myself as a complete artiste. My mom says it's more important to be remembered as a good human being and I agree with her. No traumatic experiences with the casting couch? Touch wood, no. Theu00a0 industry is very warm to new comers. I got to meet a lot of industry people at Amrutha Mahotsava, the Kannada film industry's platinum jubilee celebrations, held earlier thisu00a0 month. I speak the local language, so making friends is easy.

Rashri Ponnappa, who makes her debut in Manasu Kottayithu, says Dr Raj is the reason she dared to dream of a career in films


When star gazing paid off

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When star gazing paid off

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