Kriti chooses Chiru over Ravi Teja

Kriti Kharbanda made her debut in the Telugu film Boni opposite Nagarjuna’s nephew Sumanth, took a break from acting after her first film. The actress has now made a re-entry into films with the Sandalwood project Chiru opposite Arjun Sarja’s nephew Chiranjeevi.

“After Boni, I took a break for six months to brush up on my acting skills. I learnt a little bit of dance and also got into shape,” she says. And she’s thrilled about doing a Kannada film. “I think I’ve made the right choice; it’ll be a great experience to work with producer Bharath and director Mahesh Babu, who want to make movies for today’s audience,” she says.

And Sandalwood, says Kriti, is no different from the Tamil and Telugu industries. “It was a conscious decision to do a Kannada film. I’m a Bangalore girl after all,” says the Punjabi kudi, who rejected Ravi Teja’s film for Chiru. “I was offered the role opposite Ravi Teja which is now being played by Anjana Sukhani as my dates clashed with this film. I’m committed to Chiru now. Besides, I like doing only one project at a time,” she says.

As for Chiranjeevi, Kriti says, “We belong to the same generation and make for a fresh jodi. I’m sure we’ll share good chemistry on screen as it’s a very cute love story.” Apart from acting, Kriti has hosted shows, too. “Being part of the Filmfare awards, I got acquainted with Kajal Agarwal, who’s a good friend now, and Allu Arjun, whose pet name is Bunny. But I have the biggest crush on Nagarjuna, which I’ve even mentioned to his wife, Amala,” she laughs.