Bindhu Madavi says life is not easy in tollywood

In an industry that’s obsessed with Bollywood imports, making a mark wasn’t easy. But Bindu Madhavi, the sari-clad Telugu ammayi who played the role of a pickle seller in Shekhar Kammula’s Avakaya Biriyani not only won hearts in Tollywood but also accolades for her great performance.

Avakaya’s success brought with it a horde of opportunities for the actress. But Bindu isn’t all that kicked. “The problem with Tollywood is that everyone’s waiting to typecast you. Ever since Avakaya became a hit, I’ve been flooded with offers to play a village belle. I was forced to turned down every one of them.”

Fame came with a string of controversies, and soon producers ran miles away from Bindu who was tagged “difficult”, “choosy” and even “pricey”. It was reported that she hiked her fee to an astronomical sum, causing producers to drop her like hot potato. She clarifies, “I heard those allegations too... Someone said I demanded Rs 1 crore for a film. If only it was true! They are all just baseless rumours.”

These are all the pitfalls of not having a godfather or a mentor in this male dominated industry, she says. “Life in T’wood isn’t easy. I have no one to guide me and I’m yet to learn how to judge a script. That’s the reason why I prefer acting in movies with a reputed director or production house,” Bindu adds. Not the one to get bogged down by criticism, Bindu says she wants to move on to better, bigger things. “I am not here to fit into a mould others set for me. I want to break all the moulds with path-breaking roles. Think Jolie as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider...”

Well, Hollywood’s superwoman roles might be a little fat-fetched. But she’s inching closer to her dreams. With a few exciting projects from the South Industry already in her kitty, Bindu is all set to impress the Tamil audience now. “I am most excited about my role in the Autograph sequel. I am paired against actor and director Cheran.” The actress confesses that life is harder now than when she wasn’t a film star. “I do have tense nights now and then, the reason being the uncertainty of achieving what I want to in life. I want to make it big in the film industry and carve a niche for myself. That’s is my sole purpose and aim now,” she says, quite determined.