Actor Sonakshi Sinha is ready to step into the world of Telugu cinema with the upcoming supernatural thriller Jatadhara, directed by Abhishek Jaiswal and Venkat Kalyan, best known for Cheddi Gang Tamasha (2023). The film stars Sudheer Babu in the lead role and is set to release in both Telugu and Hindi on November 7.

Speaking about her foray into regional cinema, Sinha expressed her enthusiasm for exploring diverse industries, asserting that language is no longer a constraint in Indian cinema.

“I've done one Tamil film before and am doing this Telugu film now. I'm very open to it. I don't think language is a barrier anymore and I would love to explore more (regional cinema),” Sinha told PTI in an interview.

Sinha, who starred opposite Rajinikanth in her Tamil debut in Lingaa (2014), disclosed that she had turned down multiple offers from regional industries over the years because of scheduling conflicts.

“I have always been open to it. It wasn’t that I was saying ‘no’ to it. I've been offered so many regional films in different languages. But, of course, I've been busy with my commitments over here, so they never kind of worked out,” she explained.

Calling her entry into Telugu cinema a fresh chapter, Sinha said she feels thrilled to be part of a film culture that transcends linguistic divides.

“I am very excited. I am stepping into a new industry. I feel today there are no barriers. We watch films in any language and I think they connect with us at some level. So I am very happy to be making a debut in another language,” she said.

According to the film’s official synopsis, Jatadhara delves into the mystical secrets of the Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple, intertwining myth, faith, and supernatural phenomena.

Sinha plays the antagonist, Dhan Pisachani, a character she describes as completely new terrain. She credited her directors for their vision and collaborative spirit during the filmmaking process.

“I’m a director’s actor, so I think of my directors’ vision. As they’ve stayed with the film longer, they’ve been a part of the writing process, so they have an idea. And as an actor, it’s my job to execute that. If I feel that there’s a need for my input, if I want to play it a certain way or do something different, I say it. But mostly, I try to follow what my director’s vision is. And Venkat sir actually, he had given me complete freedom, that, ‘this is my Dhan Pisachani, this is how I’ve envisioned it, this, that, and all’,” she said.

“Then when the first shot happened, I know he (director) was a bit nervous before, because he didn’t know whether I would be able to do it or not... And the minute the first shot happened, I saw childlike happiness in his eyes. He was like, ‘this is my Dhan Pisachani’,” she added.

Having made a striking Bollywood debut opposite Salman Khan in Dabangg (2010), Sinha went on to feature in critically acclaimed and commercially successful films such as Lootera, Akira, Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, and Khandaani Shafakhana.

Reflecting on her experience working in the South Indian film industry, the actor praised its professional discipline and emphasis on work-life balance.

“Being on a film set is like being on a film set. I think there are not many differences. But of course, their timings are very good and sorted. They work only for a particular number of hours. Work-life balance is very good. I feel, over there, which is something that we (Hindi Cinema) can definitely learn from them. Here (Hindi Cinema), I mean, the shoot goes on for 12, 14, 16, 18 hours. It goes on as long as someone doesn't collapse. It goes on as per the time there (in the South)... It's a bit more disciplined, I would say,” she observed.

Jatadhara also features Divya Khossla, Shilpa Shirodkar, Indira Krishna, Ravi Prakash, Naveen Neni, Rohit Pathak, Jhansi, Rajeev Kanakala, and Subhalekha Sudhakar in lead roles.

The film is produced by Umesh Kumar Bansal, Shivin Narang, Aruna Agarwal, Prerna Arora, Shilpa Singhal, and Nikhil Nanda, with Akshay Kejriwal and Kussum Arora serving as co-producers.