Harshika Poonacha: I prefer performance oriented roles over glamour and skin show

Harshika Poonacha is geared up for a debut in her eighth industry, says she does have Bollywood dreams.

Actor Harshika Poonacha is gearing up for her Bhojpuri film debut, making it the eighth language she will be working in. The actor, who has already dabbled with Kannada, Konkani, Tulu, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kodava, says, “I have a lot of gratitude towards God that He’s keeping me so busy not just in one industry but in all the industries. Bhojpuri is the eighth industry I’m working in and I feel lucky to be part of eight different languages and eight different groups of people. Acting is something I really love. When I have shoots, I wake up at 5am. My mind is alert that I have to work today, that’s the kind of energy I have towards work,” she says.

Harshika Poonacha

Talking about how she got her debut Bhojpuri film, which is all set for release, she says, “I met the producer at one of the film events and he came and asked me if I’d be interested in being launched in a Bhojpuri film, and I said of course, I don’t treat any industry as small or big. I said I would love to be part of your film.”

After the director narrated the script, she shot for it, incidentally, during the lockdown. “When everyone else was locked up at home, I was lucky to go out there and finish a film in London and be back. It was a fantastic experience,” says the actor, who is currently shooting for Hagga in which she plays the role of a reporter. “I am dressed up for the shoot right now in a formal suit . It’s a fun role to play because reporters are so curious and inquisitive about things,” she says, adding that she would love to work in Bollywood films too.

“Bollywood is a dream for all actors. I had got a few roles but sometimes dates were an issue. Also, I’m a person who is more comfortable playing performance oriented roles rather than just being glamourous and showing skin. If I get the right roles, I definitely want to get launched in Bollywood. If you ask me for a name, it would be filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya. I loved Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) and Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999),” she concludes.