Actor Yashika Aannand is enjoying the moment. “Life is good,” she announces. Her fan following has touched 1.2 million on insta, she has two new upcoming films, Zombie and Raja Bheem a (I am waiting to see the reception from audience!) and she will soon start work on another film, a bi-lingual romcom in Kannada and Tamil. “The love and support of my fans is overwhelming. Though I am picking up Tamil now, I always share good vibes with those who approach me for a photographs or just to have a conversation. I don’t want to disappoint my fans so I have to be responsible in choosing my projects,” says Yashika, whose staggering popularity on Instagram got her an entry into the second season of Big Boss (BB), a reality show hosted by actor Kamal Hassan. “I was 18, the youngest contestant when I entered the BB house. I feel so proud to be associated with it.”
Yashika’s career kickstarted in Coimbatore. Her first film Dhuruvangal Padhinaru was entirely shot in the city at Saibaba Colony, Airport and Race Course. The director Karthik Naren is also from here. “I keep visiting the city . This must be my 26th visit,” she says about her recent visit to the city to inaugurate The Chennai Biriyani outlet. “I have visited the city for launches, for an AIR interview, and later for a big new year event at Radisson Blu. I have more fans in Coimbatore than in Chennai.”
Yashika says she would rather do films where she has scope to act and where her performance will stay on in the minds of her audience. “I worship acting. But I wish people would stay away from comparing one’s on- screen persona with their real life one. Acting is like any other job, but is 24/7.”
All her co-actors have enriched her journey, she says. She calls Yogi Babu (the busiest comedy actor in Tamil films now), her co-actor in Zombie, the most hard-working. “He runs a packed schedule without any rest. But, still he makes it a point to bond and share a laugh with everyone while he’s on the sets. It’s a lesson I have learnt to keep my surrounding positive and happy no matter how busy I am.” The film, she says, is a zom com that manages to bring on the laughs even in the eerie scenes.
In Raja Bheem a, she is acting with Aarav, the winner of season one of BB . “He came to the BB House to promote his film while I was a contestant. Now, I am doing the film. We are learning along the way. We keep talking about BB1 and BB 2 a lot,” she laughs. Yashika has also acted with the Telugu star Vijay Deverakonda in his first Tamil film Nota. “He didn’t know the language but he didn’t mind doing as many many retakes as needed to perfect a shot. His effort to acting is inspiring.”
Yashika is particularly proud of Kamal’s appreciation of her. “When I got evicted in BB, he hugged me and said, ‘I wanted you to win’. This in itself is a big victory for me. I am thrilled that Kamal Sir is hosting the third season again. To the participants, I just want to say, don’t copy the previous shows. Approach it in your individualistic style. Be real.”
