Bhavana becomes Krishnaa for her first lead role

Bhavana Bhat

, the daughter of veteran actor Ravi Bhat and niece of actress Vinaya Prasad, is all set for her debut as a lead actress with

Savaranadeergha Sandhi

. The team, she says, was aware of her family background when she auditioned for the role, but gave it to her on the merit of her performance. “I have been a model since my college days, and didn’t have serious acting plans. It was only after I graduated that I began getting offers, especially for serials. That is when my dad and aunt sat me down for a conversation about whether I would want to pursue it seriously. I began going for auditions, and one of them was at actress Usha Bhandary’s acting institute. She is a family friend and took me under her wing. My family may have given me the idea to turn to acting, but Usha ma’am moulded the actor in me,” she says.
In the time since, the young actress has attended quite a few auditions, many of which were rather bitter for her. “From my weight, to my complexion, and my inability to carry off certain outfits; a lot of mean things have been said, so, I am glad that the team of Savaranadeergha Sandhi has accepted me for who I am and taken note of my talent,” she says.
During the making of the film, in which she plays a singer, she lost her grandfather Krishna Bhat. “I was looking for a screen name, and when I lost my grandfather, I thought that adopting his name would be a good tribute to him. For the screen, I am going to be

Krishnaa

, henceforth. The role apart, what makes the film extra special is that I get to act with my dad. He plays my father in the film. In fact, I have been seen onscreen as his daughter earlier in my small role in Rajakumara, but there, my character did not even have a name. So, this is our first full-fledged film together,” says Krishnaa.