SNEHA, who was earlier signed for Vishnuvardhan’s 200th film, Aptha Rakshaka, has stepped out and Sandhya has stepped in. The actress, who shot to fame with the Tamil film, Kadhal, will reprise Soundarya’s character in Apthamitra. “Sneha’s dates weren’t available and that’s how I got it,” she says. Will Sandhya be able to match up to Soundarya’s awardwinning performance in the film? “I’ve watched the original Malayalam film, Manichitra Thazhu. Though I’ve not watched the Kannada version, I’ve always enjoyed watching Soundarya in all her films. Jyotika’s acting in Chandramukhi was also good. Not everyone gets to do such a daring role. It’s a great comeback vehicle for me,” she beams.
The first installment was a superhit in all versions, mainly because of Nagavalli’s characterisation, which requires dancing skills. Can Sandhya pull it off? “I’ve learnt dancing for about a year. I’m sure I can manage,” she says confidently, adding, “I’ll do it in my style. As people are still raving about Soundarya’s role, I’ll give it my best.” This is Sandhya’s second Kannada film, after the successful Nanda opposite Shivarajkumar. “I was very comfortable with Shivanna. We had lots of fun and he is really cool,” she says
