ADONIKA IN PURI FLICK

ADONIKA IN PURI FLICK

From the bubbly RJ who got city folks 'addicted' to her show, Adonika Rodricks has come a long way, snagging a plum role in a Tollywood film

Abhishek Raje

Acity girl in a Telugu film — well that's a rarity! Notorious for 'importing' lead actresses from across states and even countries, Tollywood has at last found heroine material closer home. Meet Hyderabadi girl, Adonika Rodricks, who is all set to make her debut in an untitled flick starring Puri Jagannadh's younger brother Sai Ram Shankar.
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology graduate, who returned from Australia on vacation, didn't know T-town was on the cards until her auditions. Adonika recalls, "I received a few Tollywood offers before I left for Australia, but I didn't see myself getting into Telugu films and I didn't take them seriously. It all happened while I was here on a short break. In fact, I was supposed to head back to join work there, but all that went for a toss when I changed my mind and started working in a radio station where I'd worked as an RJ before. And that's when the film offers started coming in again!"
So, what made her change her mind this time around? Adonika goes on to explain, "I had gotten four offers from Tollywood, while one was for a cameo role, the scripts that had a meatier role for me, were not impressive. And I knew the importance of a good debut film. I believe that light attracts light and I think that's why this wonderful project came my way."
Getting into the details on how the film happened, Adonika says, "When director Gopi Ganesh narrated the script last September, I knew this was the flick I'd want to debut with. Before I knew it, they had a photo shoot and asked me to dance impromptu, apart from speaking a few lines in Telugu. Three days later, I met Puri Jagannadh, who scripted the film, and the rest is history. I'm told I was selected from among 26 actresses, including some big names, who had auditioned for the role. For me, it is the perfect debut!"
Throwing light on her role in the untitled flick that is all set to release in the summer of 2012, she says, "I play a second generation NRI girl whose passport is stolen when she is travelling from US to Europe. She then, meets the actor and what follows is a roller-coaster ride loaded with twists and turns. The entire film is shot overseas and I'm very impressed that the crew was so professional — quite contradictory to how tinsel town is perceived ."
With the language being a little alien to Adonika, who has been raised in an Anglo-Indian household, she is leaving no stone unturned to master it. "I took it upon myself to improve my Telugu as I had to be good at it, if I wanted to act in Tollywood. I started conversing in Telugu with everyone on the sets... so much so, that I speak with my parents in Telugu too," she gushes.
Not just that, the actress who has her eyes set on making it big here is taking her job quite seriously. "I'm keeping track of competition — I know who is debuting and whom to watch out for. I caught up with all the movies I missed out on in the two years that I was away in Australia. I watched Puri Jagannadh's flicks over and over again to understand his style of films and to brush up and deliver what he expects from his artistes. I'm very competitive!" she proclaims as she signs off.
abhishek.raje@timesgroup.com