Another model makes T’wood debut

Originally from Dehradun but settled in Delhi, actress Rishika Jairath, like many girls of late, had a brush with modeling before she debuted with ‘Billa Ranga’, an action entertainer that will hit theatres this February 22. A fashion management graduate from NIFT, New Delhi, she later went on to do post graduation in English literature from the prestigious Delhi University. She avers that films were never on her itinerary.

“I did modeling for two years and ‘Billa Ranga’ happened out of nowhere. Being in the circuit, you have your contacts with production houses and casting agencies and it is how director Pradeep Madugula came to know about me. He had an interaction and within no time he offered me the role,” she recalls. “I’ve heard lot of scripts but I got identified with the character that he narrated me.”

Speaking about the character, she says, “I play a medico Shwetha, who returns to Andhra Pradesh to visit her uncle. She turns out to be the peacemaker between two warring guys played by Pradeep and Rahul. Eventually both get infatuated to her; however, she won’t have a romantic alliance with either of the one as the film progresses. She joins forces with them and works against the baddie.”

Being a North Indian, getting the lines right, obviously, was the tricky part. “I didn’t had much time to land on sets, so in a way, it was more difficult. Nevertheless, Pradeep gave me enough time to prepare for the role and was extremely accommodating,” she smiles, by adding,” I even had the opportunity to rub shoulders with Vizag Satynanand garu.

He polished my language and honed my acting skills.” Recalling her memorable incident from the sets, she says, laughing, “Pradeep and Rahul come to me with a baby who needs medical attention. After checking the baby, I say, ‘Papa is safe’, but the way I pronounced it left the whole team in splits.”