Things are looking good for Shriya. Having acted with all biggies in the Telugu film industry, she will now star with Rajnikant in the Tamil film Sivaji. This soon after her performance at the opening ceremony of the International Film Festival in Goa [Images] in December.

Shriya has, within a few years, risen to the big league in Telugu cinema. And she is looking at new pastures. Her performance in the Tamil film Mazhai fetched her a role in Sivaji. Although open to the idea of doing Hindi films, where she will be on home turf, she is now busy with Telugu and Tamil films. For this girl from Dehradun and Delhi (now settled in Mumbai), the rise has been rather breezy. She never dreamt of being in tinsel town but, as they say, destiny decides.

For those who aren't aware of it, she is a trained Kathak dancer, having studied under the eminent Shovana Narayan. Though her first steps in dance were taught by her mother, Shriya surged ahead once she began lessons under Shovana. She participated in all her group productions when an offer beckoned her to the world of glamour. Her appearance in a music video Tirakti Kyon Hua shot in the ghats of Benaras got her a role in the Telugu film Ishtam. She did the film and returned only to be called to act in the Nagarjuna-starrer, Santosham. The rest is history. She walked into audiences' hearts as Bhanu, a name by which she is still called.

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"Once I did Ishtam, it was easy to convince my father about entering cinema. My mother was always by my side," says Shriya. Dancing helped with acting. "The expressions (navarasa) are part of dance, so it helped in emoting. Also, the discipline dance calls for helped." A bit of theatre in college also helped her. "I guess I was at the right place at the right time," she adds.

She is quite happy with her journey so far. "There have been ups and downs, but I am happy and grateful to God. I had no plans to enter cinema and have no goals even now. I set my own standards. I don't compare myself with anybody. I try to give every role my best."

Shaking off the tag of Bhanu has been difficult. "It took me quite a while," says the actress. "I had to tell people that no artiste can be typecast in any role. I like to play all kinds of characters. One has to taste everything, take risks, experiment and evolve." She is looking out for roles of substance, and is open to movies in any language or genre as she wants to reach out to her audience.

Has the role of heroine been undermined in recent years, reducing her to little more than a glam doll? "It's all a cycle," Shriya replies. "Now it's glamour, later it will be substantial roles. People are mature enough to judge. With multiplexes, things will change."

Considering she has worked with all the big guns in Telugu from Chiranjeevi [Images] and Nagarjuna [Images] to Venkatesh as well as the next generation stars like Mahesh Babu [Images], NTR Junior and Prabhas, I ask her what it has been like. "With each of them, it was a different learning and fun experience."

An interesting thing about Shriya is she didn't hesitate to take some acting lessons recently. "These classes revolving around mime, body language and dialogue delivery help you take acting in a scientific way.

She believes actors should have social responsibility. "People look up to an actor who can generate awareness about many things. A known face can create more impact." This explains why the actress is brand ambassador of the Naandi Foundation and Save a Child's Heart (SACH) and also lends additional support to UNICEF when needed. As part of SACH, she has supported four children. It is an urge to help that comes from childhood. "I used to give my pocket money to the school for the blind and distribute old clothes in old-age homes.

Despite all the fame, Shriya is firmly grounded. "My friends keep me grounded. That and the criticism I receive from people."

On the sets and otherwise, she can be caught reading a book. Paulo Coelho and Brian Weiss are her favourite authors. Her other pastime is watching movies. "I like visiting theatres with friends. I manage to do that in Mumbai." She likes Hyderabad as she has lived here long enough. And you can hear her speak a smattering of Telugu.

Blessed with a peaches and cream complexion, Shriya believes in using homemade skin-care products made by her mother. In the same vein, she says, "Nothing is better than home-cooked food. I am a foodie and love dal, aloo ki sabzi, roti, sambhar and fish (cooked in any form)."

Like most Indians, Shriya adores Amitabh Bachchan [Images]. "I met him in Udaipur when I was in class VI. I was so stunned that I just gaped. I still treasure the autograph and photograph." And who does she think is the most beautiful woman to grace Indian movie screens? Shriya doesn't hesitate. "Madhubala," she smiles.