The rich girls of Sandalwood

BENGALURU: Ask any normal student, and he’ll tell you how difficult is to manage work and studies. But there are some leading ladies in Sandalwood who are doing it with ease.

Harsika Poonacha is one of them. She got the chance to act in PUC when she was a student.

"Getting into films was an accident. I never dreamt of becoming an actress. In fact, I wanted to complete my graduation. I was a good student and that explains why my teachers were hoping that I'd become an engineer or a doctor," says Harshika.

That’s exactly what she is doing now. The actress is studying engineering at Cambridge Institute of Technology, KR Puram. Does she get special treatment because of her star status?

"Not really. Respect doesnt come simply because you're famous. You have to earn it. Ramesh Aravind is my inspiration, who is not only a good actor but also a mechanical engineer," she says.

How does she manage to get time to study for her exams?

“Initially, I used to act in films only during holidays. Now, I’ve started accepting films provided I get sufficient time to prepare for my exams. I think I am lucky to have such directors and artistes who are always ready to help. Even they want me to do well in my exams," she says.

Suprita, who made her debut in Sandalwood with 'Ambaari' , too gives importance to education.

With the success of 'Ambaari', Suprita became the most sought after heroine in Kannada films. “I never thought of becoming an actress. I was surprised when I got the chance to act in Ambaari," says Suprita.

She acted in films such as 'Parole' , 'Yellellu Neene Nannalloo Neene' and 'Puthra '. “I'm doing B.Com through correspondence. I study for not less than two months in a year. I believe that education provides stability to an individual," says Suprita.

Akshata Shetty , who made her debut with 'Naavu Namma Hendathiyaru' , says she always wanted to become a fashion designer. Akshata is doing PUC at CMR College. "My mother is a fashion designer and my grandmother and aunt are television artistes. I think fashion designing is a better options as I’m not sure if I’ll get to act in more films," says Akshata.