BENGALURU: Teju Belawadi, who hails from a distinguished family of actors, follows in her father Prakash Belawadi’s footsteps. Teju, a theatre artist, first appeared on screen in (2019) as a schoolgirl. Now, five years later, she is making her return to the big screen with her second feature film, .
Directed by Bharath Raj and produced by Rishab Shetty Films, the film pairs Teju with Pramod Shetty and is set for an August 30 release. Reflecting on her upbringing, Teju shares, “In his impressive career, my father interviewed world leaders, earned international acclaim in theatre, and achieved so much else. I can’t compare myself to him or to anyone else.
Even though my grandparents were also in theatre, they ensured that my father learned the craft independently. In the same way, my father initially kept me away from acting. I had to discover it on my own through school and college.
It wasn’t until later that he allowed me to act in his plays. He sent me to study theatre at Ninasam, not to push me into acting but to build my confidence. He never wanted me to become an actor.
The only promise I broke was doing without his permission. While he was proud, his advice has always been not to pursue acting professionally. I understand now that his advice was to avoid turning passion into a profession, as it could change one’s motivation.
” After her debut in (2019), Teju Belawadi has continued to explore diverse roles, though not at regular intervals. She has starred in Asmin, a mini-theater film that is making its way through various festivals. Now, she’s eagerly awaiting the release of Laughing Buddha and looking forward to her next project, Maryade Prashne.
“Neither I view myself as a mainstream heroine nor is it my aspiration,” Teju shares. “I’m content with the roles I’ve been given and the projects I’m part of.” Life brought significant changes after for Teju.
“COVID hit, I got married, and now I have a daughter,” she reflects. Teju reveals that while her family hasn’t pressured her career choices, her mother has specific preferences. “My mother loved and was involved in the shooting process, even helping out while I was filming Laughing Buddha and caring for my daughter in Bhadravati.
She’s very supportive but has one request: that I avoid roles involving kissing. She wants to be able to watch my films with the family without feeling awkward, and I don’t want to let her down.” In , Teju plays a role marked by subtlety and emotional depth.
“My character serves as an emotional anchor for Govardhan, played by Pramod Shetty. While my role doesn’t demand the spotlight, it’s integral to the story,” she explains. Teju was impressed with Bharath Raj’s storytelling and was thrilled to learn that the film was produced by Rishab Shetty, which she describes as a “bumper offer”.
She also shares her initial surprise about Pramod Shetty. “I knew he was cast because he fit the role perfectly, but I had only seen him as a villain before. He’s much more jovial and innocent than I expected.
It’s been a joy to work with him,” she concludes..
