Malayalam Actor Anaswara Rajan Discusses Shift to Telugu Film Industry

Malayalam actor Anaswara Rajan is currently working on four Telugu films, including projects alongside stars Chiranjeevi and Ravi Teja, pointing to the larger scale and technical vibrancy of Tollywood compared to her home industry.

Career Shift

In a recent conversation, Rajan explained that her move to Telugu cinema stems from a desire to work across different industries and explore new creative spaces. She noted that while adjusting to a new language and culture felt a bit confusing at first, the immense support from sets and the passionate way Telugu audiences connect with movies provided a major boost. She also highlighted differences in daily production, pointing out that Telugu film crews are much larger than Malayalam sets, though work timings are slightly less hectic.

Upcoming Projects

Among her Telugu projects, Rajan plays Chiranjeevi's daughter, Ammulu Paapa, in the film Kaaka, directed by Bobby with a Sankranti 2027 release planned. She praised Chiranjeevi's professionalism and noted that working with him offers valuable lessons both on and off screen. In Ravi Teja's crime drama Thulabharam, directed by Vivek Athreya and produced by Bridge Productions with Priyanka Mohan as the lead, Rajan portrays a key role rather than the main heroine. She is also the lead opposite Sangeeth Shobhan in the rural love story Antha Ramuloru Chusukuntaru, directed by Palnati Surya Pratap with music by Mickey J Meyer, where she plays a character named Sirisha opposite Sangeeth's Maruthi.

Genre Choices

Rajan shared her thoughts on romantic comedies, calling the genre riskier than it seems because modern audiences quickly reject anything that feels overdone or cringe-inducing. Despite needing to carefully balance sincerity and excess, she enjoys rom-coms most as both an actor and a viewer. When picking projects, she looks past the script to focus primarily on the director, placing her trust in filmmakers who possess a clear vision and give her ample room to perform.

Context

Actors crossing over between regional Indian film industries have become increasingly common as pan-Indian releases expand audience reach across language boundaries. Telugu cinema, often referred to as Tollywood, is one of the country's largest film hubs by box office output and production scale, regularly drawing talent from other regional industries.