Sandhya Raju courts a new stage

Kuchipudi dancer Sandhya Raju discusses her feature film debut as actor-producer with ‘Natyam’

For Telugu film buffs, the gold standard for mainstream films that incorporate classical dance or music would be director K Viswanath’s Sankarabharanam (1979), Sagara Sangamam (1983) and Swarna Kamalam (1988). Hyderabad-based Kuchipudi dancer Sandhya Raju, who will be making her feature film debut as producer and actor with Natyam, releasing on October 22, is aware of the inevitable comparisons.

Having sought the blessings of the nonagenarian filmmaker, accompanied by Natyam’s director Revanth Korukonda, Sandhya says, “Our film is driven by hard work, passion and creativity. But we are nowhere close to matching the films of the legendary director.”

Sandhya is calm and composed even as the Nishrinkala Dance Academythat she founded is abuzz with pre-release promotional activities. In a corner of the room, a whiteboard lists the tasks to be done each day. For Sandhya and Revanth, Natyam is the fulfilment of a dream of nearly five years.