My character in Gangs of Godavari stands out: Anjali

Mass Ka Das Vishwak Sen is steadily growing his fame with his versatility and committed performances.

Now, he is set to star in an intense gangster drama, Gangs of Godavari, which will hit the big screens on May 31.

Written and directed by Krishna Chaitanya, the film features actresses Anjali and Neha Shetty in the female lead roles.

The movie is also gaining popularity due to its music by Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya of Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, respectively, are producing Gangs of Godavari.

Venkat Upputuri and Gopichand Innumuri are co-producing the film, while Srikara Studios is presenting it.

Anjali recently interacted with the media about the movie. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Q: Can you tell us about your role in the film?

A: You'll see me in a "massy" avatar, and I even used some cuss words. When Chaitu (the director) narrated this to me, my first question was about the use of cuss words. I thought they might get changed during censoring, but it turns out everyone is talking about it now. I loved my character design. I asked Chaitu why he felt like narrating this story to me. Many people see me as the girl-next-door, calm and sweet person. My role in Gangs of Godavari is completely different from what I’ve done so far. Our director was looking for a performance-oriented actor and he was very confident in me. I am happy it is getting a good response so far.

Q: How did you prepare for this challenging role?

A: I always wanted to do challenging roles. As an actress, even I get bored doing the same kind of role again and again. I was looking to do something different and I took this up for the same reason. My character in this film stands out. The way she speaks, looks, and behaves is very different from what I have done so far. I went no-makeup for this film. Since it is set in the 80s, we experimented a lot. It took time to get into the shoes of Rathnamala and I worked very hard for the role. Rathnamala is a complex role. She reacts to everything. I took home Rathnamala's character many times. It was very tough to play that role. This is the mass version of Sita from Sithamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu. Rathnamala is pure at heart, very loving, and caring. I have the Godavari accent by birth, but in Gangs of Godavari, we don’t speak the typical Godavari accent. It is from the Lanka side, their language is different and not something we speak daily. It was tough even during dubbing.

Q: How was your experience working with Vishwak Sen?

A: Vishwak and I have a connection in the movie. Even our characters’ names are interlinked - Rathnamala and Rathnakar. You will understand after you watch it in theaters. In this movie, Vishwak is loud, and I am louder. My character is such in the film. Vishwak and I have been friends even before doing this movie, and it was very comforting working with him. Just like our characters, we were loud even on sets. Gangs of Godavari was a fun-filled set. Personally, I like to talk to other actors and that atmosphere is nice, so it was very fun working on this film. We have seen Vishwak in city boy roles. With this movie, that image will change. He also spoke in the Godavari accent.

Q: What do you think about the director Krishna Chaitanya?

A: Chaitanya delivered what he narrated, which is a very good quality – to bring the movie to life from the script. Some directors write something but show something else on screen, but Chaitanya did what he said. This will give Krishna Chaitanya a big break. Gangs of Godavari is an entertainer. It is a mass movie and a pure entertainer that audiences will enjoy in theaters.

Q: Can you tell us more about the movie’s production?

A: This movie has two heroines. Rathnamala, Rathnakar, and Bujji are three different characters, and many emotions take place between them. There is definitely a part 2 of this movie. Discussions are ongoing for the second part, but the final submission of the script and all is not yet done. Sithara Entertainments is a good production house. They are continuously delivering good projects. As an actor, I feel Sithara Entertainments gives special attention to the movies they produce and they are delivering quality films. For this movie, this production house is a big plus.

Q: How was it working with Yuvan Shankar Raja?

A: I have worked with Yuvan previously as well. He has given me some really good songs. Nine out of the ten best songs in my career are by Yuvan. In this movie, music is a big plus and Yuvan gave great music. The songs have come out well. Overall, the movie has all kinds of songs.

On the work front, Anjali has three projects in Tamil, another project lined up in Telugu after Game Changer, and something in Malayalam as well.