The Telugu girl on Broadway

Pragathi Yadhati’s shot to fame as the only Telugu girl in the world of theatre in New York, Broadway. She talks about her upcoming film ‘The Ring Around the Rose’ and the influence of Hyderabad in her career. As things stand, true to her name Pragathi is lighting up the ultimate destination of every stage artiste!

Tell us about your love for acting?
I live! I live in the characters I play! That’s what I am good at. Apart from being active in theatre in New York, I have worked in multiple projects, including short films and Bollywood. I am trained in acting and Kathak and Bharatanatyam. Along with a Diploma in Acting from New York Film Academy, I recently graduated from The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute. I learned Meisner technique of acting at MCS theatre in New York. While still a student learning all these, I performed in various plays in New York and New Jersey.

When did acting in Indian films happen?
I played the lead actress in an independent Hindi feature film called “Iraade Maum Ke” that shows the life of an Indian immigrant IT engineer struggling to pursue her dream in the States. Subsequently, I was offered to play the lead in a low-budget Bollywood movie “Ooops a Desi”, which received critical acclaim. However, I did not accept ‘Iruvar Ullam’ and ‘Airavat’ when the roles were offered to me. I couldn’t accept these offers because I was either busy with academics or they did not fascinate me. Even now I get offers from big-banners.

I’m currently playing the lead role in a trend-setting mystery thriller ‘The Ring Around the Rose’, which is being made in Malayalam and Hindi.
You claim you’re the only Telugu girl who’s doing Theatre in New York! Yes. There are a quarter million diaspora in the United States of America. Out of which, I take pride in saying that I’m the only Telugu girl who is doing theatre in New York, where the audiences liked me in ‘Bollywood Wedding’, ‘Baggage Claim’ and standup comedy.

What is it that you think people of Hyderabad would be interesting in knowing about Pragathi Yadhati? What can you share with them about your experiences? I call Hyderabad the land of awareness. It is such a unique place with a diversified culture that makes it stand out among other cities in India. I’m a typical Hyderabadi who works out during the day so that I can have biryani for dinner that night (Hyderabadi biryani, even for vegetarians like me, is the most delicious dish that there is out there). I grew up performing at Ravindra Bharati, Lalita Kala Thoranam, Hari Hara Kalabhavan and Thyagaraya Ganasabha. If I am a successful actor in New York theatre, I owe a major part of it to my Hyderabad roots.

By Askari Jaffer