I am finally getting to work with Upendra sir, years after we did an ad together: Hariprriya

Hariprriya was, quite literally, on a roll as far as films were concerned in 2019. She had seven releases and began 2020 with another and then, after months of non-stop work, she decided to take a break. “Between the end of 2019 and early 2020, I was off work for almost two months, during which time I went on a trip with my family. Once back, I had started planning my schedule for the next few months, as I was committed to a few project, but then news of the pandemic started coming in and soon enough, the country went into lockdown.It was an unexpected break and combined with the time I had taken off, was the longest I have been away from work in a while,” says the actress.
Not one to mope around, Hariprriya did something she had been planning for a while, but never really found the time for.
Hariprriya says, “I began a blog, which was my way of connecting with my fans and giving them a glimpse into my life and some of the most personal moments. Each subject was carefully thought of, as I didn’t just want to write about random stuff; it had to be complemented with, say, an image. I think that really struck a chord with my followers. Since returning to work I have not really been posting new blogs, but it’s not something I want to discontinue altogether. I will be back at it, perhaps not as frequently as earlier.”
Returning to work, though, she says came with a lot of initial trepidation. “At the start of the pandemic, everyone was scared, and after permissions came through for shoots to resume, I first did an advertisement. I was quite mortified initially, wearing my mask whenever I could between shots, sanitising often, wondering if my surroundings and the food and water supplied by my assistants was clean enough, etc. Even back home, I would take steam inhalation and immunity boosters and stayed away from my mother as far as possible. A day or two later, once we all realised how much care was being taken on set, the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed,” she explains.
Thereon, there’s been no stopping Hariprriya, who is now making up for the long break she had. “I started with Petromax, opposite Sathish Ninasam, and then joined the Kannada remake of Evaru, with Diganth and Vasishta N Simha, which is being shot in Hyderabad. Although I have also signed up for Bell Bottom 2, it will take more time to get going. In the meantime, I am looking at starting shooting for a new film, the as-yet-untitled Shashank sir directorial with Upendra in the lead. It is an interesting subject that is very apt for the present situation and gives me the opportunity to work with both of them. Shashank sir’s characterisation for the women in his films is always good; the heroines are never there just for the glamour, so, I am looking forward to playing a role in his film, and if my other project with Uppi sir, Lagaam, also takes off this year, it will be the icing on the cake. I am going to be busy for the next few months,” says the actress, adding that her pre-pandemic films Amruthamathi and Happy Ending should also get outings in 2021.