My life changed after marrying Upendra: Actress Priyanka Upendra

Hyderabad: Priyanka Upendra is a popular actress who worked in films during the late '90s and early 2000s in Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada films. She is a Bengali who married popular south actor Upendra and then started working in the south film industry. She has been part of many films till now and is all set for her next film titled 'Detective Teekshanaa.'

'Detective Teekshanaa' is Directed by Trivikram Raghu while it is being Bankrolled by Producers Gutha Muni Prasanna & G. Muni Venkat Charan, who originally Hail from Polakala, Chittoor, along with Purushottam B.

How has your career been for over 20 years now?

It has been great, and I feel blessed about it. I was brought to the US and Singapore. I became Miss Calcutta when I was 16 and started my career in the Bengali Film Industry. In a short period between 1999 - 2003, I worked in Bengali, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Odiya films. I worked with big stars during that time. I did films with Vijaykanth sir, Vikram sir, Prabhu Deva, and Upendra. It has been an honor to be part of this industry.

What is your first film?

My first ever film was a Bengali film titled Hathat Brishti. Basu Chatterjee directed it. Then I got married, and the children were born. By then, I never thought I would start my acting career again. Then, slowly I started getting offers again. At that time, not many actresses got married to superstars and started acting again after their marriage. Now is a very good time with the OTT boom, which explores new content with many different characters. It is a journey of learning from many people from all industries.

What is the significant change in yourself before and after marrying Upendra?

First, I learned Kannada after I shifted to Bengaluru after my children underwent emotional experiences. I haven't worked in Upendra's direction. We always talk about films and watch many films together. He is very passionate about Kannada literature. I learned more about that part from him. That has helped me grow as an actor. A certain level of maturity will also come after children. It's a completely new phase. I travelled a lot, knew about Karnataka culture, and worked with new people. But, with Uppi, I have learned a lot.

What made you say yes to 'Detective Teekshanaa'?

This film marks my 50th film. And I found director Raghu to be a passionate director and hard-working. I have already worked with him, and I know his dedication. When he narrated the story, I liked it; this film is female-centric. So, instantly Byomkesh Bakshi, and Nancy Drew, came to my mind. Again it reflects powerful, intelligent, brave women. When I saw the output in the first two days, I knew I had made the right decision. The whole team is really good. My kids are super excited to see me in this role.

Some roles are physically challenging, while some are emotionally draining. Does this film have both?

It does have some emotional scenes, but this is more like a slick action entertainer. It will be very entertaining and interesting for the audience while watching 'Detective Teekshanaa.'