This year, telugu screen is going to be invaded by a host of models. And the latest to swap the catwalk for a film set is calendar girl Anjali Lavania, who is going to make her debut in the Telugu movie Panjaa alongside Pawan Kalyan and Sarah Jane Dias.
Apparently, the 20-something newbie has been planning her film debut since she was in school when she took to the stage, and has taken acting classes in Los Angeles. “You need to do your homework. Before I was a model, I was an actress. I’ve always been in love with the art,” says Anjali, who is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and a self-taught belly dancer.
So why did she choose to make her film debut with a south film? “All the top stars have come from the south, from Hema Malini to Rekha. I just joined a micro-blogging site recently and the response to my entering the industry with a south film was insane. My social networking fan page is inundated with compliments on me making my debut with Pawan. He is like a demigod in Tollywood,” gushes Anjali.
Though she will be the second lead in the film, Anjali says she has a sizeable role. “It is a very noir kind of film and my character has got shades of grey as the film is set against a mafia background. I also have a song featuring me that will be shot in Hyderabad,” she reveals. But following in the movie-making footsteps of her predecessors comes with a host of responsibilities. For starters, she doesn’t speak Telugu. “I’ve started learning Telugu by watching TV,” laughs Anjali, who learns her dialogues 10 lines at a time, and written in Hindi.
Undoubtedly, this latest model-turned actor is in good company. Pawan, her “new mentor“, gives her tips on acting. “It’s mostly girl talk,” with Sarah,” says Anjali, who knows the former Miss India socially.
The svelte model is not ditching the runway altogether, though she will be missing from the fashion week in Mumbai because of her packed movie schedule. “I am blocked till July with Panjaa, but I haven’t decided anything on that front,” says Anjali. Will she be staying south? “I haven’t made any rules for myself. I will grab whatever comes my way, wherever the script is strong. The idea is to do memorable roles,” she says.
