There is a common assumption that heroines have a limited lifespan. But it does not seem to be the case for actress Priyanka Upendra. Previously, Malashree set an example by being one of the busiest stars in the industry for a long time, and today we have Priyanka following the same path. The actor, who has more than a dozen films scheduled for 2023, will start the year with Miss Nandini.
Miss Nandini is a 2023 Indian film directed by Gurudatta S.R. starring Priyanka Upendra, KS Sridhar, Bank Janardhan and Gopal Deshpande. The feature film is produced by Neelakantaswamy KP and the music composed by Sai Sarvesh.
Director: Gurudatta S.R.
Stars: Priyanka Upendra, K.S. Sridhar, Bala Rajwadi
“Actors will have no lifespan if they are passionate about their work. In that way, I'm lucky the creators are thinking of me, but it's still a challenge. Being a housewife and mother, she is always multitasking. But acting has become part of my life, and this helps me to work for a social cause. Cinema is a platform where I can make a difference and I want to make good use of it. This is my calling. When the opportunity presents itself, I always do my best,” says Priyanka Upendra, ahead of the launch of Miss Nandini on January 6.
Directed by Gurudutta, Miss Nandini has Priyanka playing the role of a public school teacher. “The film highlights the condition of public schools, their closure, and a solution to this problem. The film is also about the importance of the Kannada language,” she adds.
Movies discussing the importance of public schools and language issues have been a part of the culture. But do they leave an impact on the audience? “It all depends on how they take it. The intention is to raise awareness, through entertainment. The film talks about education and highlights the lack of educational awareness in some towns. We hope to create change in those places. If the sons of politicians, bureaucrats and all upper-class groups join public schools, the standard will automatically improve. This is the crux of our film.”
Priyanka shares that playing the title role in Miss Nandini was an enriching experience. “I got the part at a time when I was mostly getting a lot of horror movies. In fact, I never thought that I would be chosen as a Kannada teacher because of my heritage. But when the director approached me for the role, I took it as a challenge to prove my versatility. When a film deals with women's empowerment and child-related issues, I would definitely want to be a part of it,” says Priyanka.
Priyanka and her team plan to donate the proceeds from the film. “I visited several schools and interacted with the teachers, and that helped me understand more about public schools. Although the children come from different backgrounds, they are very inspiring. This film helped me get closer to these children and I want to do something for them through my foundation ”, she concludes.
Miss Nandini also stars Gopal Deshpande, Appanna, KP Sridhar and Bank Janardhan. Financed by RK Banner, the film has Sai Sarvesh composing the music and Veeresh serving as the cinematographer.