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