The Clash Between Priyamani And Her Cousin Vidya Balan

Bollywood beauties, beware. Another Southern siren is getting ready to invade Hindi filmdom. This one is Priya Mani, our Vidya Balan’s cousin, and both Southies have Mani Ratnam in common. Vidya did Guru with him and Priya recently made a small but striking appearance in Raavan. Sources, however, say that both girls got a raw deal in terms of footage.

Vidya will not talk, but Priya is happy with her space, “My role couldn’t be cut,” she laughs throatily, “Mani Sir told me it brought colour and vibrancy into the story.” But her monologue where she describes her gangrape by cops has made Bollywood filmmakers sit up and notice Priya. And Ram Gopal Varma has already cast her opposite Tamil superstar Suriya in Rakta Charitra.

Way back in 2006, this Bangalore hottie had won the National Award for a Southern film and was in danger of being typecast as a serious actress. “But I quickly gravitated towards conventional glamorous roles because I no longer had to prove myself as an actress,” she says.

Acting since she was 18, Priya has done many films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Now, Hindi films beckon just as they did to Asin before her. “I’m a big Bollywood fan,” admits Priya. Does it help that Vidya Balan is her cousin? “No, I’m not really in touch with Vidya. I’m more in touch with her father. Whenever I visit Mumbai, I make it point to meet him. But I don’t expect them to help me in Bollywood at all...”