Vidyullekha Raman excited about television debut

Actress Vidyullekha Raman, best known for her roles in films like "Neethaane En Ponvasantham" and "Sarrainodu", is excited about her television debut as she believes it is a great medium to become a household name.

"It's not considered low anymore to be on television. Several popular stars (such as Nagarjuna and Ali), despite their active acting career, choose to do shows on television because of its phenomenal reach. So much so that, it can make any artiste a household name," Vidyullekha told IANS.

Sharing details of the show, she said: "I'll be co-hosting a children's talent show called 'Drama Juniors on Zee Cinemalu' (which was launched earlier this month). We have already shot the first episode and it's likely to be aired very soon."

Initially, Vidyullekha was roped in as the brand ambassador of the channel and she was kicked about the opportunity.

However, when she was approached with the offer to co-host a show, she freaked out, literally.

"Honestly, I was very apprehensive because I wasn't ready to host a show in a language I'm still not totally comfortable with. I know about 70 per cent of Telugu, and I can manage to speak by forming simple sentences. But, there's no way I was going to co-host a show, especially with one of the best anchors Pradeep (Machiraju)," she said.

Asked what finally convinced her to take up the offer, she said: "When I told them I can't speak Telugu fluently, they said that's what they were looking for. They really liked my role in 'Sarrainodu', where I played a Tamilian speaking in Telugu, and wanted me to use the same slang for the show."

Vidyullekha took it up as a challenge and accepted the offer.

"When we shot the first episode, Pradeep and I bonded instantly. The director and producer of the show were very happy and that boosted my morale," she said.

There was another reason why she wanted to be part of the show.

"I come from theatre background and it's very close to my heart. The kids in the show have to perform skit, and I thought this will be a great opportunity to see new talent from close quarters. It warms me to be associated with something like this," she explained.

On the acting front, Vidyullekha has nearly half dozen Telugu projects including films such as "Baghmati" and "Om Namo Venkatesaya" in her kitty.

Having worked in Tamil and Telugu industries so far, she makes her Kannada debut this year with "Jaguar".

--IANS

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