I got the offer for my Telugu debut due to Manasanamaha: Drishika Chander

Deepak Reddy’s short-film Manasanamaha has been making noise ever since it released in March, with celebs all praise for it on social media.
Not just that, the short-film was submitted to numerous films festivals out of which it has gotten 21 selections so far and won 9 awards. The film even won Best Film at the CKF International Film Festival, seven awards at the New York Movie Awards and a few at the Independent Shorts Awards as well.
Drishika Chander, daughter of costume designer Deepa Chander who won a Nandi award in 2009 for designing the costume and jewellery in Arundhati, will be making her Telugu feature debut soon. But even before people could see her debut film Buchi Naidu Kantriga that will soon hit OTT, she has won hearts by playing a relatable girl-next-door in this short-film. And looks like film festivals’ jury agree too because the actress has gotten nominated for Best Actress at Independent Short Awards, LA and Toronto International Nollywood Film Fest.

“I feel proud to represent the film at film festivals because this short-film is the reason I even got an opportunity for my Telugu feature. Initially, me, Deepak and everyone involved only made this as a demo reel but during lockdown, he decided to release it online and good that he did,” says an excited Drishika, adding, “Things just picked up from there, one thing led to another and here we are with the film getting nominated for best film at several film festivals.”
Drishika dabbled in theatre and even got professionally trained in acting before heading to greener pastures. The Hyderabadi even acted in the indie film called All About Michelle, modelled and gave a lot of auditions before she finally caught a break. Manasanamaha, a palindrome meaning salutations to the mind, also stars Viraj Ashwin, Valli Raghvender, Prithvi Sharma and Bunny Abhiran. What’s unique about the film that’s catching everyone’s attention is the fact that the film shows the story unravelling in reverse, so do the engaging visuals on-screen.
“I liked the way Deepak narrated the story and my character too. I did Manasanamaha because I blindly trusted him as I didn’t know how it would all look like on-screen after post-production,” says Drishka. In her debut Telugu feature film, she plays a complete contrast to her role in Manasanamaha. “The film is a love story set in a village with a completely new team. So to play a village belle was a whole new experience and it feels surreal when I talk about it now but I feel honoured,” she says, rounding off.