Preethi Asrani: Every woman will relate to my role in Dongalunnaru Jagratha

Sunitha Tati and Suresh Babu, who joined hands for films like Oh Baby and Saakini Daakini, are teaming up again for a survival thriller Dongalunnaru Jagratha. The film, produced under Suresh Productions and Guru Films in collaboration with Manzar Studios, is headlined by Sri Simha Koduri, Samthurikani and Preethi Asrani. The thriller is written and helmed by Satish Tripura.

Ahead of Dongalunnaru Jagratha’s release on September 23, Preethi Asrani, in a conversation with media, called the film unique and labeled it a first of its kind attempt in Telugu cinema. “The filmmaking is out of the box and I play a middle-class girl Neeraja, a part that gave me good scope to showcase my emotional range. Every woman will be able to identify with her despite the brief screen time.”

She credits Satish Tripura for writing her character well and thanks the team for casting her. “I and Neeraja share one similarity - we both are strong, stubborn women. On the whole, the film will have interesting twists and turns and it’s not about a robbery alone. After you watch the film, you’ll understand why it has been titled Dongalunnaru Jagratha.”

Preethi is grateful for associating with Suresh Productions and Guru Films for a project and said the team briefed her every scene with great care and clarity. “Satish is a director with a very good vision. Sri Simha is cool, matured on sets and I got to learn a lot from him. Sharing screenspace with Samuthirakani and Srikanth Iyengar was a rewarding experience. The technical crew was spot on.”

Despite shooting in the same location throughout the film, she maintains there was no monotony. “In fact, the location became our little world and we forgot the fact that we were shooting at the same place, wearing the same costumes everyday. Art director Gandhi Nadikudikar transported us into a different world and the shoot was a breeze,” Preethi shares.

The Gujarati girl came to Hyderabad nearly five years ago and was quick to grasp the nuances of the language. “My sister Anju Asrani taught me acting and she is my inspiration. I always discuss anything about my films with her. She’s my guide and my entire family has been a great source of support in this journey.” Some of her popular appearances were for films like Malli Raava, Pressure Cooker and Seetimaarr.

The budding actress is particular about the films she’s a part of. “I draw a line where necessary and make it a point to sign films that are decent and can be watched by a family audience. I look for opportunities to perform and do something meaningful. I am open to taking up female-centric offers. I’ve done a brief came in Samantha’s thriller Yashoda too. I am a fan of her and Sai Pallavi.”

She is wrapping up two films each in Tamil and Telugu and is also doing a web series for Annapurna Productions.