KGF’s Srinidhi Shetty on her Telugu debut HIT 3: I wanted a romantic drama with Nani, but…

It’s been three years since Srinidhi Shetty was last seen onscreen – her big-ticket KGF: Chapter 2 and Tamil debut Cobra (with Vikram) came out in 2022 - so, she’s quite excited about her next, HIT 3, which is her first in Telugu cinema. In the Sailesh Kolanu directorial, Srinidhi is paired with actor-producer Nani, who plays a cop for the first time.

A big-time fan of Nani’s work, Srinidhi says that she’d been hoping and praying for an opportunity to collaborate with the Eega star, and had even introduced herself and exchanged pleasantries when he had visited the set of what was initially meant to be her Telugu debut, Telusu Kada. When the offer for HIT 3 came, the actress says that she did not give it much thought and decided to do it no matter what, even though the team flew to Bengaluru to give her a narration.

Srinidhi Shetty: I did not need a narration to be a part of HIT 3

“I was surprised when they reached out, but told myself that if it’s a Nani film, I did not even need a narration and would be onboard nevertheless. They gave me a narration and normally I take a few days to revert about whether I will do a film or not, but with HIT 3 I okayed it immediately. I was very excited to be a part of the film,” said Srinidhi.

The actress adds that while working with Nani was a dream come true, a combination on a crime thriller was not what she was hoping for. “I wanted a nice love romantic drama and while I didn’t exactly get that, within the crime thriller, there is a love story, so I got my bit,” she said.

As her first release in three years, Srinidhi is eager to see herself in theatres yet again, when HIT 3 drops on May 1, 2025, and the film, she reckons, is far more of a theatrical experience than the earlier two films.