It took eight years of waiting and wanting before Baby happened – Vaishnavi the actress who saw her popularity rise with her debut film doesn’t mind taking time to choose her films.
“Love Me is a love story at heart” – Vaishnavi Chaitanya
Love Me
After the most successful debut with ‘Baby’ starring alongside Anand Devarakonda, actress Vaishnavi took her time to work in her next film ‘Love Me – If You Dare’ with Ashish is the lead. Here’s a candid interview on what makes her tick, why she takes so much time to choose her films, and her journey as a Youtuber to becoming an actress who is quite popular with Gen Z audience.
With the first film being a huge success – and you getting much lime light – can we assume yours has been an easy journey into the film world?
Of course not. It took eight years of waiting and wanting.
I am not trained. I have had success as a Youtuber, but the goal has always been to be an actor. And now I believe one has to try, try and try until you succeed. Now, cinema and acting are my life. Even while traveling, I practice expressions. Getting the character in Baby is also about luck. No matter how many years we strive, getting a good character can take time. With Baby I got a character that gave me scope to perform. It is my first step. Now ‘Love Me’ feels like my second step in a way.
Why do you take so much time to do your films? ‘Love Me – If You Dare’ is only your second film.
After ‘Baby’ happened, I did take a while to choose my next film. I take time to see myself in a character. I took 2-3 narrations for this role in ‘Love Me’; only then did I gain the confidence that I could do it. My only goal is to be recognized as a performer. I want to be in a place where I can perform. I also like challenging roles. And even if it is a complex role, no matter what I am determined to make it. In ‘Baby’ and even in ‘Love Me’, I think I play tough characters that were challenging to perform.
The role of ‘Love Me’ has multiple shades. How convinced were you that the director will pull it off?
The director’s conviction was something that made me accept it. The central theme of the story is about what we see in a person – and how different they actually are and the life that they lead. And what are the reasons for them to be so. This is a unique, dark film with a horror element, but at heart, it is a love story. The role has many layers and underlying shades. Director Arun Bheemavarapu has a unique point of view and has seen a few things in his life that influenced his storytelling. His attitude towards life and the film helped me decide.
Tell us about your career before ‘Baby’.
Before ‘Baby’, I was a YouTuber and an influencer. I was creating content for myself—directing and acting. It was very interesting. But the goal has always been to act in films. I also acted in YouTube series like Software Developer with Infinitum Network, which gave us very good reviews.
How would you describe yourself at heart?
I am very simple girl. I like simple things. I love dance and always wanted to sing—that was a fantasy. I actually miss dancing. I believe there is still a lot to learn still. From Baby and Love Me, I’ve learned from actors, the production team, and from the shoot locations. I also write for myself.
Did you face any challenges as an actor while shooting?
Sometimes I am consumed by the scenes, and take it back home. When shooting for Love Me, there was a scene that needed to be shot in a graveyard. It was scary, but we were soon in our characters, immersed in the scenes. And, post the graveyard scene too my head was heavy even while coming back. I keep telling myself it’s just a character and I have to get it out of my head.
Baby Poster
How do you deal with negativity, especially after Baby you received some backlash for the character?
For a moment, I felt bad about why the girl is being abused – and more so as I was only playing a character. But I’m happy that people are connecting with the character. Our director Sai Rajesh reminded me about how I must take it positively that the audience is relating the story to their lives. I’ve also received positive feedback from stars like Chiranjeevi, Allu Arjun, and Vijay. It was alright.
You’ve recently explored singing. Can you tell us more about that?
I actually sang for Love Me—a song called “Ravaali Ra.” Five singers sang it, and my director and producer liked my voice. My version got released recently.
What can you tell us about your upcoming projects?
I am taking my time, learning from my experiences, and observing how the audience reacts. I will take some time before my next film. Meanwhile I am acting in a film called ‘Jack’, directed by Bhaskar and co-starring Siddu Jonnalagadda.
