Why not a film with Sallu bhai?: Priya Mani

Priya Mani may be busy with films opposite Mammootty and Nagarjuna, but rumours abound that she might do a Wanted sequel....
She may have had a minuscule role in Raavan, but it seems to have given Priya Mani plenty of mileage. So much so that rumours of her being cast opposite Salman Khan in a sequel to Wanted are doing the rounds. “Oh, really?” laughs Priya, clarifying, “First, it was speculated that there may be a sequel to Wanted.Even if it’s in the pipeline, nobody has called me yet. If it comes through, then why not a film with Sallu bhai?”
Nonetheless, she’s getting some concrete offers from B-town. “If I get to play a substantial role in Hindi films, I certainly won’t let go off the chance,” says Priya. But she won’t blindly follow the route taken by other southern actresses who’ve managed to work with superstars in Bollywood. “I’m not particular about working only with certain actors,” asserts Priya, adding, “While an opportunity to work with superstars is always welcome, I’m not averse to a mind-blowing role opposite a lesser-known star. It’s where I can exhibit my talent and also be noticed. But otherwise, I’m quite comfortable in the south.”
She should be more than comfortable, as not many south heroines get to romance Mega Star Mammootty and Telugu superstar Nagarjuna at the same time. In fact, Priya is back in Mollywood after a year with Pranchiyettan and the Saint. “It’s just a ten-day shoot and I’m not playing a romantic lead in the film; it’s a character role and I’m the only female aspect in the film. I took it up because (director) Renjith called me up and said, ‘I’d be happy if you do this role for me.’ I couldn’t say no to him after I worked with him in Thirakkatha,” she explains. As for her Nagarjuna film by Veeru Potla, which goes on the floors in a couple of weeks, Priya asks, “What more can I ask for than a performance-based role in a film boasting the combination of Nag sir and Veeru?”
On working with these veterans, she says, “This is the first time I’ll be working with Mammootty. But I’ve interacted with Nag sir when I shared screen space with him in a song sequence in King. He’s very cool on the sets.”
But when do we see Prithviraj and Priya together on-screen again? “I think he has no dates till 2030. Whenever I try reaching him, he’s in some remote place in north India. Let him finish all his films and then, I’ll sit with him and hear a script,” laughs Priya, who’ll soon be back in Bangalore for her third Kannada film with Sudeep.