Ganesh gets the gals

After Yuvika Chowdhary and Anjana Sukhani made their debuts in the Ganesh-starrer Maleyali Jotheyali, two more newbies are set to star opposite the Golden Star in Thunta Thunti, which will be directed by Indrajit Lankesh. The gals? Lekha Washington and Ishita Sharma.
ISHITA SHARMA
Thunta Thunti will mark Ishita Sharma’s first-ever on-screen appearance. So far, the north Indian lass has only been seen in print ads.“I don’t belong to a filmi family. This Kannada film will be my first film,” she says. Ishita, who was pursuing her masters in London, never intended to become an actress. “I was in the country to see my parents when I was offered this role, which quite excited me,” she says.
Her family and friends, she says, have been very supportive of her decision. “My parents and my friends actually helped me get my new portfolio done. Everyone is happy with my choice and I hope to carve a niche for myself in this industry,” says Ishita.
The newbie is also excited about learning Kannada and getting to know a new place. “I was excited when Indrajit narrated my role to me — my character sounded pretty interesting. Now, I’ll wait and see how it pans out,” says Ishita, who’ll start shooting for the film during the first week of April.
LEKHA WASHINGTON
The former IPL anchor is currently shooting in the Andamans for her Bollywood debut, Peter Gaya Kaam Se opposite Rajeev Khandelwal. She, however, chooses to remain tight-lipped about her Sandalwood launch pad. “I’ll speak as and when I’m permitted to,” is all she’ll say about Thunta Thunti.
Lekha also has a Telugu film opposite Allu Arjun and Manoj Manchu, and two Tamil films in her kitty. “My Telugu film, Vedam, is a prestigious project, which we’ve nearly completed with just one song sequence pending. I’m also currently shooting for the Tamil film, Quarter Cutting,” says Lekha.
Her stint as an IPL anchor, she admits, helped secure her entry to Bollywood. “I did the IPL as I wanted attention in Mumbai. It’s quite a challenge for an actress from the south to break into Bollywood, and I’m quite enjoying myself now that I’ve managed to do it,” she says.