Kalki 2898 AD has been creating a tsunami at the worldwide box office. It became the third biggest opener in Indian cinema surpassing the global opening records of KGF 2, Salaar, Leo, Saaho and Jawan. The film has been winning hearts for Nag Ashwin’s larger-than-life vision, the ensemble star cast and never-seen-before face-offs. And apart from cameos by Dulquer Salmaan, Vijay Deverakonda, Mrunal Thakur, SS Rajamouli and Ram Gopal Verma, actors like Shobana, Brahmanandam and Anna Ben have also caught the attention of the audience.
For the unversed, Malayalam actor Anna plays Kaira in Kalki 2898 AD, who’s seen combating deathly circumstances to protect Deepika Padukone’s Sumathi. The scene plays out in a vehicle and an emotional conversation between Kaira and Sumathi soon transitions with Kaira proving her physical prowess. In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Anna shares her excitement about getting the opportunity to share screen space with Deepika.
“It was so surreal to meet her in person. I’ve seen all her films. I’ve grown up watching Om Shanti Om. She’s a global icon. When I met her, I was really excited. I remember Nagi sir introducing us to each other. I was quite nervous initially because I didn’t know Telugu. To top that, there was a star in front of me and I didn’t want to hold back on things or give too many takes because I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, we managed the scene,” recalls the Kapella and Helen actor.
Lauding Deepika further, Anna says, “She told me that she doesn’t know Telugu either and that’s why we both had the leverage. We finished our scenes really fast. She’s very professional on set and very punctual. It shows why she’s a star. She has that quality and that discipline. She’s very inspiring in terms of how she interacts with everyone. It was truly a big opportunity for me.”
But the most special part of their interaction with one another was when Deepika revealed that she and husband Ranveer Singh enjoyed watching Anna’s debut film, which proved to be a game-changer for Malayalam cinema. “She told me that she watched Kumbalangi Nights and so has her husband. That meant a lot to me. I come from a very small industry and to see that my film has travelled so much and to such heights that people like Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have watched it. It’s a big deal. I was just blown away!” she shares.
Anna dubs Deepika fire’s scene as ‘goose-bump inciting’ and states that it’s the ‘collaborative actor’ underneath the star that makes the Pathaan star inspiring. “The way she conducts herself on set and interacts with her co-actors is really commendable. She does have a lot of people around her taking care of things and yet she’s so self-aware. She’s very involved in the filmmaking process. She was very curious about my character. She would constantly ask questions to Nagi sir about other characters, their background and their relationships with one another,” she remarks.
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