Actor Shalini Pandey, who will soon be making her big-screen Hindi film debut with 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar', recently opened up about her Telugu hit 'Arjun Reddy' and credited the film and her director Sandeep Reddy Vanga for making her a performer to watch out for. 'Arjun Reddy' marked four years of its release today and on the fourth anniversary of the film, the actor expressed gratitude to her director, saying, "I owe everything to my director Sandeep Vanga Reddy for his belief in me as an actor."
Speaking about the movie that catapulted Shalini to instant stardom in the South, the actor said, "I owe everything to Arjun Reddy because it put me on the map as a performer. I had done my level best to put up a performance that I was immensely proud of and I'm glad that audiences appreciated my hard work."
She added, "I owe everything to my director Sandeep Vanga Reddy for his belief in me as an actor. I'm fortunate that I was a part of his vision to create an unparalleled love story that has etched its place in the hearts and minds of film lovers across India."
Shalini shared that the film's success fuelled her passion to be recognised as a versatile artiste. She said, "The success of the film gave me a lot of confidence to pursue my personal goal to be an artiste who wants to make a name as a performer, who loves to be versatile. Jayeshbhai Jordaar will be a testimony to this statement. Unfortunately, I can't talk too much about my role right now so you will have to wait and watch."
Helmed by Sandeep, 'Arjun Reddy' also featured Vijay Deverakonda in the lead. It revolved around a short-tempered surgeon who immerses himself in drugs and alcohol and spirals into self-destruction after an ugly breakup with his girlfriend.
The romantic drama was a massive hit and was remade by Sandeep in Hindi as 'Kabir Singh' with Shahid Kapoor and Kiara Advani in the lead roles.
-ANI