Indiaglitz chats with Kruthika Jayakumar about her Bharatanatyam dance, showbiz entry, childhood and more. Read on…

Were you ever interested in acting?

I love giving Abhinaya expressions during Bharatanatyam, and I used to focus more on it because it was my favorite part of dance. So I tried to find interest in the same and I also watch a lot of movies. So I guess an actor in me came out from there (smiles).

How did you come into showbiz?

I was born and brought up in Bangalore and I`m a trained classical dancer (Bharatanatyam) and I`ve been learning since I was 7, and even performed all over the country. After a show in Trivandrum, one of the Malayalam directors came to me and said that my expressions are good and I have to become an actor. I was surprised because I was a big Tomboy in school, but he convinced and made me understand about the film industry. Then, I auditioned for Drusyham and I was on board and my film journey began. But when you come down to work, you`ll realize how difficult it is and how much effort is going in towards filming a single scene. There`s so much to learn that and you respect the industry a lot more once you come down to work.

What made your friends call you a Tomboy?

I always say that I should have born like a boy because I hate hairdo, make-up, and glamour. I used to indulge in boy-like activities like climbing trees, playing on the streets, etc., during childhood. But these days, I have slowed down and I just kept myself reserve since I`m in showbiz (laughs).

You speak Telugu fluently? How did you pick up so quickly?

I was speaking in Telugu with everyone on the sets of Drushyam, and I`m picking it up slowly, and at times, it can go bad (smiles). I even tried to dub for myself for a few crucial scenes in Vinavayya Ramayya and it has come out well. I`m still learning and soon hope to dub completely for my film soon.

How did Drushyam happen?

Suresh Babu made me flew from Bangalore and I gave my audition for the role, along with several others. But he was insistent that I do the role, and because of him, I was able to do a make it.

How was the transformation from a daughter in Drushyam to lead actress?

Actually, there`s not much of a difference. I was never treated like a small artiste on the sets of Drushyam. I was given the same treatment how Prakash Raj gets. Even on the sets of Vinavayya Ramayya, they never made me feel like a small actor. But the only difference could be I had to groove in this film and look a little glamorous.

Are you comfortable doing glam roles?

I`m still not comfortable in all attires but if you have to survive in showbiz, you`ve got to do glam roles too. If I go for a film, even I want the heroine to be nice, so it`s very essential and I`m making efforts to look glamorous.

What`s your role Vinavayya Ramayya

I play a village belle in the film and dad is her favorite person in the world. I play a pampered girl and everyone at home loves me. Hero is my childhood friend but I have dominance over him. Nobody understands the hero better than me and our relationship keeps growing and gets better.

Do you know that Nag Anvesh played Venky`s son in Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu

I couldn`t believe it that he was the same guy. He was so cute back then and now he`s tall and I was still wondering whether he`s the same person (laughs). But it was a good experience, and I find him very friendly to work with. Since we are new to showbiz, a lot of feelings and experiences on the sets were similar.

How do you manage studies and your films?

I`m still studying…completed my 12th standard. I shot for Drushyam during my holidays so I did not find a problem. But for Vinavayya Ramayya and Kannada film Boxer, I had back to back schedules and did not attend the college at all. But I took a break from my shooting schedules and somehow managed to study and finish my exams.

Missing out your college life?

Off-course! I missed my graduation and a lot of events this year. It`s not exactly regret, but I was shooting, and I love my work. But there`s a small feeling like I missed out on the college life, a little.

Any childhood crushes?

On heroes, since my childhood, I really love Suriya in Tamil and I like Bunny (Allu Arjun) and in Telugu. It`s only exactly a fan girl thing but I`ve seen every film of his and the amount of hard work he puts in every film really inspires me. He`s also an amazing dancer and that`s another thing I like (smiles).

How do you chill out?

I read a lot and love listening to music. I have a small group of friends and I hang out with them. I watch movies a lot. I`m not an outgoing or a people person and don`t party much, but I just keep it to myself and group (smiles). I usually work out a lot to maintain myself. I love food, so I cook a lot.

How did your friends react after seeing you onscreen?

When we went to a theatre in Bangalore to watch Drushyam, they made fun of me. When I appeared on-screen, they started pointing towards me and shouted “the same girl is here”. A lot of people started coming to me to take pics and I had to run away from there and felt embarrassed. Even at the audio launch, I did not expect so many people screaming after seeing me and I just did not know how to react, so I`m still new to all that (smiles).

How was the transformation from a dancer to an actress?

There isn`t much difference actually, except that the dance is different. The competition is a little bit eased out in showbiz because there are different range of films and characters, so eac