IN THE RIGHTGROOVE-Charmi

IN THE RIGHTGROOVE

TELUGU LEADING LADY CHARMI IS BACK IN TAMIL FILMS AFTER A HIATUS OF FOUR
YEARS, STARRING IN THE PRABHUSOLOMON DIRECTED FILM LAADAM, WRITES KK MOIDU


Charmi, the most happening
heroine of Telugu cinema, has
created hits with front-line
Telugu heroes. Her re-entry to Tamil
films will not only fill the acute
shortage of glamour girls in the
industry, but it will also be a threat to
other top heroines.
According to reports, Charmi is
doing a heroine-oriented role as a
female gangster in her comeback
vehicle Laadam. The male lead of the
film is debutante Aravindhan.
Aravindhan, an assistant of the
prominent director Mani Ratnam, is
facing the camera for the first time.
Kota Srinivasa Rao, Dheeraj Kher
and Babu Antony, top villains of
South Indian films, will terrorise the
audience in the gangster-oriented
thriller.
The film, produced by
Ponnurangam under the banner of
Chola Creations, has music scored by
Dharan. The movie also exploits new
technical equipments like Tripov
camera, probe lens etc.
Gave Mick Harry, who has
worked with veteran cameramen like
PC Sriram and Ravi K Chandran, is
the cinematographer of the film.
Charmi was brought
back to the Tamil film
industry by director
Prabhu Solomon of
Tamil hits Kokki and
Lee fame. She plays a
female gang member
in the film and hopes
her role will be a
milestone in her
career. She has done
a lot of preparation
for the film; this
vivacious girl has
become
astonishingly slim
and pretty in her
new look.
The lively
Punjabi girl,
Charmy, was born
on May 17, 1987, in
Vasai, Mumbai, in a
very orthodox family.
Her real name is
Charmy Kaur and she
spells her first name as
‘Charmme’. She won the
hearts of filmgoers with her
performances in decent roles as
well as sparkling and vexatious
roles in Telugu films like Laxmi, Style etc.
Director Krishna Vamsi projected her as a
hot actress in the Telugu film industry. Even
after doing a great role in the Telugu film
Anukokunda Oka Roju, Charmi was forced to do
provocative roles in films. Her item numbers
became a craze for the young fans. Because of
this, she was approached to do an item song in
Stalin, but declined due to her commitment to
other films. Anushka Shetty later did the part.
Although Charmi had an
ominous beginning with
half-a-dozen consecutive
flops, the chubby actress
overcame all hurdles with
her positive thinking,
easy adaptation of
changes, bright smile and
the support of her parents.
Buxom Charmi made
her debut at the early age
of 14 in the Telugu film
Neethodu Kavali with
Deepak in 2002. The film
bombed at the box office
but she gained the attention
of the south Indian film
industry with her noticeable
performance. She used to get
her cheques in the names of
her parents. Her father looked
after her shooting schedules
while her mother always
accompanied her on the sets.
Charmi’s Tamil debut in
Vijaya T Rajendher’s Kadhal
Azhivathillai opposite
Silambarasan was also a box
office disaster. Her insignificant
role in the Tamil films Aha
Ethanai Azhagu and Kadhal
Kisu Kisu failed too. She also
tried her luck in Malayalam
films with Kaattu Chempagam,
but failed in the industry which
always welcomes heroines from
other states. Finally, she struck
gold in the Telugu film industry.
Charmi shifted her base to the
neighbouring Telugu industry and
appeared in Sri Anjaneyam,
directed by Krishna Vamsi. The
ace director projected her as a ‘hot
girl’ in his film where she exposed
a lot in short and wet dresses. But
the film failed miserably at the box
office. Her pairing with Ravi Teja in
Chanti added one more flop to her
career.
Although success was elusive, it
was Gowri that put Charmy on the
Telugu film industry scene nearly
two years after her debut. She was the
leading lady of Sumanth in the film
and its success gave her career a
boost. Her stupendous success in
Mass with Nagarjuna strengthened
her position in Telugu films.
Chakram, opposite Prabhas,
released with big expectations, but it
didn’t make any impact on the
audience and turned out to be a box
office disaster. However, the turning
point of Charmy’s career was her
critically acclaimed performance in the
lead role of the heroine-oriented thriller
Anukokunda Oka Roju. She won the
Santosham best actress award for her
role as Sahasra in the film. Charmi was the third
winner of the prestigious award, which started
in 2003. Earlier, it was won by leading ladies
Asin Thottumkal for Shivamani 9848022338
and Trisha Krishnan for Varsham.
Although Chrmi’s movies were doing well,
producers were offering her bewitching roles
and she acted in a bunch of
films like Political Rowdy and
Allari Pidugu. In Political
Rowdy, she played a naughty
college girl who grabs the
attention of a thug and makes
him fall in love with her for a
fun. The gangster proposes to her
and she cannot say no
to him out of fear.
Mohan Babu was the producer and the male
lead in the film. He played the double role of
two brothers; as Giri, a village Romeo and the
other as Ranjith, an ACP. Charmy was their
cousin and the love interest of Giri while
Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif was the other
heroine.
Charmi’s three Telugu films Laxmi, Style and
Chukkallo Chandrudu were released in a period
of three days in January 2006.
In Laxmi with Venkatesh, Charmi crosses all
limitations and the movie did moderate business
at the box office.
The second directorial venture of Raghava
Lawrence, Style turned out to be a biggest hit of
the year. Lawrence also played the hero, the
other heroine was Kamalinee Mukherjee.
Charmi’s role as Sandhya in the triangular love
drama Chukkallo Chandrudu proved to be a funfilled
entertainer. Sidharth Narayan played the
male lead of the film. There were three heroines
in the film, Charmi played one of the love
interests of the hero, Saloni Aswani and Sadha
were the other heroines. The movie was directed
by Mani Ratnam’s associate, Siva Kumar.
Charmi’s Pournami released last year with
lot of expectations because of the huge cast. Her
performance in the film was much appreciated,
but that could not save the movie from being a
box office disaster. Charmi did not learn South
Indian classical dance but she surprised the
audience with her ‘Bharatha Natyam’ and
‘Kuchipudi’ dances. The film, directed by
choreographer-turned director Prabhu Deva, had
Prabhas in the male lead.
Charmi’s last year’s release Chinnodu,
written and directed by Kanmani, was a moneyspinner
at the box office. Sumanth was her male
lead; he played a rugged man’s role as the
protector of a cycle stand owner who gives him
shelter. Charmi loves the hero, assuming that he
is a chocolate boy.
Rakhi, directed by Krishna Vamsi with Jr
NTR in the lead role, gave her one more hit last
year.
In the forthcoming Telugu thriller Manthra,
directed by Tulasiram, Charmi plays the title
role. The movie goes deep into the tension of
a modern girl, who lives a happy life. Manthra
is also the story of various events that
occurred in the life of a girl and some scenes
will thrill the audience. The theme of the
suspense thriller is ‘every belief may not be
true’. Charmi hopes the role will be an
immemorial one in her career.
Manthra is jointly produced by Kalyanram
and Raviprakash under the banner of Generation
Next. The hero of the film is V Raviprakash and
the choreography is by Prem Rakshit. The
highlight of the movie is its artwork and
locations. The makers hope that the film will
run beyond the expectations of the audience.
Although Charmi has acted in about twodozen
films in a variety of roles, mainly in
Telugu, she has only a few hits to her credit.
Even then, she is getting offers from front-line
directors and big banners of Telugu films
because of her good looks and acting talent.
In her five-year career, Charmi has played
the lead opposite front-line Telugu heroes like
Venkatesh, Nagarjuna, Prabhas, Sidharth, Ravi
Teja, Sumanth, Jr NTR etc.
To fulfill her desire to act in Tamil films, she
accepted the role in Laadam without thinking
twice. If the movie is a success at the box
office, she will prove to be a tough competitor
to other Tamil heroines.
Charmy can fill the shortage of heroines by
taking on glossy and non-glamorous roles —
because she can handle both with equal ease.