”She is full of praise for Mahesh Babu and his wife Namاين نام مجاز نمي باشد. “I am back after 13 years of absence from the screen. I had no intention of returning to cinema.”Bollywood stintShe recalls her brief association with Hindi cinema with fondness. This time I couldn’t say no to him. I also did a film with the great Amitabh Bachchan called Zamanat which, for reasons unknown to me, never got released. I had turned it down. Amitji is such a great star. And I didn’t to do it half-heartedly — didn’t want people to point a finger at me and say, ‘Look, another actor is using politics to get noticed. Even one film a year is enough. politics,” she laughs. I did some more Hindi films, including Tejaswani where I played a cop and did my own stunts. Now that it’s over I will miss them. At the moment I haven’t accepted any other role. It was a lovely film. When I heard the role and got to know I’d be sharing screen space with Mahesh Babu, it seemed just right to take on the role. It’s very rare for a leading lady to return after so long with such a powerful character.

And I had a lovely role in it. The response is overwhelming. Again he came back to me with Sarileru Neekevvaru.”After delivering many hits in the 1980s and 90s in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema, in author-backed female-oriented roles, why was she missing from the screen since 2006?“Politics sir. “They looked after me like their own family. I also acted with Mahesh Babu when he was a child. That remains a regret. Do you know, they used to call me ‘Lady Amitabh’ in Telugu cinema because of the author-backed strong characters I played.”.. Even now they call me by the names of the popular characters I played.”So what made Vijayashanti change her mind?“Mahesh Babu and director Anil Ravipudi! Anil had offered me a role just a year before Sarileru Neekevvaru. Amazing!”Vijayashanti is astounded by the reaction to her role in Sarileru Neekevvaru. Happy to know the audience hasn’t forgotten me and my roles.”Vijayashanti has always been associated with films and roles that empower the heroine. “The response is unbelievable.

“I had been acting for 40 years when politics beckoned.’ It didn’t even occur to me that I could use my strong image in cinema to propagate my political ideas. Do you know I started my career as a heroine with Mahesh Babu’s father (Krishna) in the Telugu film Kilaadi Krishnudu in 1980. Until this week we were together, shooting, promoting the film. It had to be politics wholeheartedly. “I decided to plunge into the creation of Telangana. Sarileru Neekevvaru is no exception. “I’m lucky to get such a part so late in my career.I don’t need to do a film unless I’m convinced it’s worth my while. “The first Hindi film I did was Eeshwar with Anil Kapoorji. And I’m open to it, provided it’s worth my while.Vijayashanti is delighted and surprised with the great response to her return. I didn’t want to continue with a film career.”When she joined politics she had no intention of ever returning to cinema.. And KPET film now I’m sharing the screen with him. They all want me to do more roles. To me, cinema was cinema and politics was politics. Now that the Telangana state dream has been realised I hope to do selected roles from now on. But the role has to justify my presence