With 'Agent' behind her, Saiee Manjrekar opens up on her career trajectory

NARENDRA PUPPALA

Hyderabad, April 14 (IANS) Actress Saiee Manjrekar who debuted in Bollywood, alongside superstar Salman Khan in 'Dabangg 3', went on to act in two Tollywood projects, 'Ghani', and pan-India movie 'Major'. Now, Saiee is back in Tollywood, for her third Tollywood project, 'Agent' starring Akkineni scion Akhil.

"It's a very exciting project and it happened kind of suddenly because we heard the narration on I think February 15 and we were shooting by the 18th. That's how exciting the story was and the cast is amazing, such experienced artistes in it, and it's so exciting to be back in Hyderabad and shooting out and about again so I'm very excited to see how this pans out," Saiee said.

The young actress feels that too much is being read into the apparent fascination for Bollywood imports in Tollywood and other South film industries. Both, glamour and talent matter in the film industry, she opined.

"I think it's a mix of both. There's so many pretty faces I've seen myself while shooting in the south, so I'd like to believe it's something to do with probably what the role and the character demands and who can fit it seamlessly," she elaborated.

Saiee, who was barely 17 years old when she debuted in 2019 with 'Dabangg 3', looks back fondly on working with Salman Khan.

"It was a surreal experience, daunting at first because I didn't know what to expect but as soon as I got to set in my first day I knew it was going to be an experience of a lifetime to watch Salman sir work and work with him. It was a treat and I couldn't have asked for anything better," she recalls.

Coming from a film family, Saiee who is noted director and actor Mahesh Manjrekar's daughter, responds to the 'nepokids' question with maturity that belies her age.

"I genuinely believe that coming from a background of having the privilege of getting a break so young and so fast will always be something that I feel grateful for.

"I will never take that for granted and know that someone has worked years to probably get that break, which is why I strive to work hard and honestly and do my best to prove myself deserving of that, rest is up to the audiences," she signs off.

Unfazed about just three or four projects in her kitty ever since her high-profile debut, Saiee is confident that her best is yet to come.

"My debut film came out on December 2019 when I was all of 17 years old. At that point, I wanted to pursue acting as a full-time career but had to give some attention to my studies too. By February when I decided to take a step back from studying and give all my time and energy into acting, Covid happened and suddenly two years of my life and all of our lives were just gone," she said.

"The movies that I have done after that, I am extremely proud of and all the work I am currently doing keeps me very content so I don't think it went wrong anywhere if anything I think it's going very right for me. I'm 21 now and my world seems like a blank canvas with a few colours and I have so much to do now," the actress concluded.