Thanks to 50-plus stars, fading divas shining bright

After romancing dusky actress Nayantara in 'Sye Raa…." megastar Chiranjeevi is all set to woo another 30-plus actress Trisha in his upcoming big ticket flick with director Koratala Siva.

Even his colleagues like Balakrishna, Venkatesh and Nagarjuna are almost giving second lease of life to fading divas like Nayantara and Shriya Saran. "Thanks to 50-plus Telugu stars who are bringing these actresses back into limelight once again.

Unwilling to romance younger heroines onscreen since their sons and nephews are already doing that job, Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, Venkatesh and Nagarjuna are forced to work with 30-plus divas and help pretty damsels earn big bucks," says director B Gopal, who reminds the bad run of Trisha who delivered duds like 'Nayaki' and 'Lion.'

Apart from busting the myth that actresses have a limited shelf live and attract viewers only for a certain period of time, all these actresses are a great mix of good looks and talent.

"Of course, they have maintained their pretty looks with perfect diet and exercise regimen. They can match the stature of big Telugu stars with their hard-earned image over the years," says director Meher Ramesh, who feels that there is nothing wrong in roping in seasoned divas.

"Telugu films are mostly hero-centric and actresses have lesser role to play barring a few exceptions here and there," he adds. Although Chiranjeevi and Venkatesh wooed Tamannaah in 'Sye Raa...' and 'F2' respectively, Nagarjuna floored Rakul Preet Singh in 'Mamadhudu 2' and Balakrishna found his romantic partner in Sonal Chouhan in 'Ruler', the growing age of these stars is going catch up with them sooner than later.

"Aging gracefully is part of an actor's job. With Kajal, Tamannaah and Rakul still sought-after for new-age stars, the elders have to give up on them one day or other and look for experienced divas," says producer Vallabhaneni Ashok.

With the exception of Anushka, who has laid her own path with female-centric movies like 'Bhagmathe' and 'Nishabdam', others have to play love interest to top stars to fattem their bank balances and extend their career for few more years.

"Anushka to Nayantara and Trisha to Shriya Saran are charging anywhere between Rs 3 crore to Rs 1 crore per film. Actually, they are earning more at the fag-end of their careers than when they were ruling the roost few years ago," adds produer Kumar Choudury.

Last but not the least, is Shriya Saran. who has defied age and still looks stunning. Even though, she has married her Russian beau, the actress romanced Balakrishna in 'Gautamiputra Satakarni' and looking for decent offers in Telugu.