Arundathi makes Anuskha rich!

The initial reaction to her pre-release sari-clad posters for Arundhati was mixed. Some even felt that it was a gamble, given that many makers banked on her stunning figure. However, producer Shyam Prasad Reddy felt otherwise and transformed the glam doll into a fiery heiress in the movie and she lived up to it with a stunning performance in the contrasting role. “Undeniably, it gave me a new image and both the roles gave me scope to showcase my talent,” she smiles.

With this sensational hit, undoubtedly, Anushka has become the flavour of the season overnight. Though she acknowledges the fact that she’s been receiving appreciation from many filmmakers, she refuses to rest on her laurels and prefers to move on. “Someone will be in my place next season,” she reasons.

Practical as she is, she’s cashing in on the new-found success and has demanded Rs 1 crore plus from big filmmakers, say industry sources. And why not, when she’s worth it? say sources. However, she prefers to downplay her success. “To be frank, I haven’t found any big change in my life post Arundhati. I have been getting offers like these before. About hiking my remuneration, I am hearing it only from you,” she retorts. When we insist, she merely smiles. Remind her that it is a common practice in the industry to ‘revise’ remunerations post a big success, she cuts it, “…Maybe. But I always weigh my options. Even now, I would prefer to strike a balance between good scripts and money. A fancy price alone can’t lure me.” So, is she trying to prove a point to malecentric Tollywood? “It’s only good scripts that work and I don’t believe in ‘centric’ trends,” she asserts. Quite an honest statement, as we hear that she has a ‘hot’ role in upcoming Billa. Then, will her Billa avatar shock the audience? “I don’t think so,” she signs off.