Malayalam actress all set for Kannada debut

She's only 18, but Samskruthy Shenoy has worked in all the South Indian film industries. A Konkani who is based in Kerala, Samskruthy was waiting to finish her education before setting her sights on the Kannada film industry, but as fate would have it, she received a call from director K Mahesh Sukhadhare and his film Happy Birthday is now her debut Sandalwood film. The actress spoke to BT about balancing films and school, and why her father is excited about this movie'How did your Sandalwood debut come into being?The director received my pictures and contacted me several times. Initially, I was not willing to do the movie as I didn't want to shift base before I finished my studies. Working in a Kannada film would mean spending a lot of time in Bengaluru, and that would disrupt my studies. But one fine day, the director came home and narrated the story. My family and I really liked it, so I jumped at the opportunity.What is your character like in the film?My character, Anjali, doesn't have a mother and her father is a drunkard, but she loves him. It's a bold role as she is a self-made girl, but has an innocence that other people don't see. She works in a photocopy shop, and the story revolves around what happens when a poor girl comes in contact with an irresponsible guy; it's about their conflict and eventual romance. On the other hand, there is also the father-daughter track, so there was a lot of scope to emote.What challenges, if any, did you face?I didn't know the language. And to add to that, this movie has the Mandya Kannada dialect, so it was difficult to understand and emote. But the director helped me a lot. Now, my Kannada is much better and I can understand what people are saying and can respond as well.You entered the film industry at the age of 13. How supportive were your parents?My parents are really supportive, especially my father ' he loves watching movies. I used to study whenever I was at home, and whenever I was on the set, I used to enjoy myself. It was challenging because when I faced the camera for the first time at the age of 13, it was for a romantic song. I didn't even know what romance was then, and slowly, in the process, I got to learn a lot.Was acting in Kannada films always part of the plan or was it accidental?My dad always wanted me to act in Kannada films and we were waiting for the right offer. My father was born and raised in Mangaluru, and studied in Ballari, so despite being Konkani, he was a Kannadiga. He used to watch Kannada movies, and I have also watched a few with him. So, he is very excited about Happy Birthday.Does this mean that we will get to see you in more Kannada movies?For now, I want to finish my studies. I will take a break after this film and then decide what to do next.