US-born sensation Sreeleela takes Tollywood by storm with her versatility and charisma

(July 1, 2023) With an innate passion for entertainment and a magnetic presence in front of the camera, Sreeleela is an unstoppable force taking the Kannada-Telugu film industry by storm. Born and raised in the United States, this multitalented actress effortlessly captures hearts with her charismatic performances.

While her acting career has taken center stage, Sreeleela is not one to be confined to a single pursuit. Pursuing her dreams of becoming a doctor, she delves into the intricacies of medical cases as part of her MBBS curriculum. “Entertaining people has always come naturally to me, ever since childhood. While acting has become my full-time profession, I am equally passionate about my journey towards becoming a doctor,” shares Sreeleela in an exclusive conversation with Global Indian.

Sreeleela

A quick rise to stardom

In a short span of time, the US-born Sreeleela has put a number of big projects in her kitty, taking the south Indian film fraternity by storm. “I just go with the flow and give my 100%. I have learnt to not take things too seriously. I put in my best effort and leave the rest to destiny,” says the actress. She has seven big-ticket films to her credit, possibly the highest number that any top actress has had at a single point in time, even at the peak of their careers.

Among them are Ustaad Bhagat Singh with Pawan Kalyan, a film with Vijay Deverakonda and Aadikeshava, another with Allu Arjun besides playing the female lead in Bhagavanth Kesari. Her most recent achievement has been bagging the role of the female lead in Guntur Karam with Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu. Her career took off with a Kannada film Kiss in 2019. The film achieved considerable success at the box office and earned her the Best Female debut (Kannada) award along with the most promising newcomer award. “The title of the film (Kiss) was a shock but the film itself had nothing to do with the title,” Sreeleela remarks. She marked her entry into Tollywood with the Telugu film PellisandD in 2021 and then Dhamaka happened the following year. There has been no looking back since.

She feels it’s just the beginning of her journey. “Nothing in life comes easy. One has to be smart and hardworking, irrespective of any field. I have a long, long way to go,” says the 22-year old, adding she is grateful for the big ticket projects coming her way. She recently wrapped up shooting for another film opposite actor Ram Pothineni.

Born to dance

Born in Detroit, Michigan in June 2001 into a Telugu speaking family, Sreeleela started learning Bharatnatyam when she was just three. Even as a child, she was passionate about dancing. “My mother did not want me to be content only with one dance form so she enrolled me to ballet classes as well,’ informs the star, whose second Kannada movie was ‘Bharate’. Within a few years of staying in US, they shifted back to Bengaluru.

She says both the dance forms being so diverse, it would be confusing for her while practising either of the two. “But it later helped me adapt to whichever form that I was performing,” smiles the actress. At the same time, academic rigour was a non-negotiable rule, enforced by her mother, Swarnalatha, who is a gynaecologist in Bengaluru. “My mother was very strict when it came to academics. After my classes and dance practices, I would have to attend Math tuition without fail and then it was homework time,” recalls Sreeleela, who studied in Bengaluru.

Navigating fame in the age of social media, OTT

By her own admission, Sreeleela has always been a ‘drama queen’. “I used to entertain visitors who came home by either imitating someone or throwing starry tantrums and behaving like an actress,” laughs Sreeleela, who is also a swimmer and briefly played hockey in her school in Bengaluru.

Ask her if an actor’s life is like a roller coaster, given the hits and flops which constantly make or mar their careers, Sreeleela says actors across all film industries have their share of ups and downs. “The one piece of advice I follow is never to take success or failure too seriously. That keeps me going.”

Coming to pressures from social media, Sreeleela feels “It’s pressure if you choose to see it that way.” She says no one is forcing anyone to post something on Instagram. “For me, social media is one way to communicate with people. It’s a great platform if used in the right way. It was difficult initially as I am a very private person. But I am enjoying it now,” she informs.

She feels OTT is a great platform where different subjects and characters are being explored. “For theatre release, we need some theatrical elements but for OTT, it’s not necessary. It has widened the film making process,” she says. Movie shoots leave her with little to no time. “Post shoots, I do a bit of reading for my MBBS. It helps me relax,” she says.

Follow Sreeleela on Instagram.