Priyamani Refused To Act In Varudu

Controversies never seem to stop chasing Priya Mani , but the National Award-winning actress isn't perturbed by them . First, there was the report that she would be on the cover of a men's magazine after she sported a bikini in the Telugu flick, Drona. "Yes, I've heard the news, but the magazine never approached me. I've previously been on the cover of many regional magazines and it's always a pleasure to do exclusive shoots," she says. Telugu Movie News

There was also another bit of news doing the rounds about the actress being paid Rs 20 lakh, in addition to her remuneration, for her Drona bikini act. But since the film didn't do well, the producer didn't honour the payment. "It's all false. I've received the amount that was promised to me. Initially, the producer was hesitant because Drona didn't fare as expected, but he later settled the dues. I appreciate his professionalism," she says.

It was also said that she would soon be part of Mahesh Babu'sforthcoming Varudu. In fact, it was even reported that the two had done a photoshoot together. "First of all, I've never done a two-heroine project, which is what Varudu is expected to be. Secondly, I've never seen or met Mahesh Babu. So where's the question of me even doing a photoshoot with him?" she laughs adding, "If it's a lead role, I wouldn't mind working with him."

But Priya is working on a Telugu film - with actor Jagapathi Babu and director Madan. "It's the same team that I worked with on Pellaina Kothalo. We'll start shooting from June 14," she tells us.

And what about rumours linking her with actor Prithviraj? "We're just good friends because our mothers were collegemates, and we've stayed friends till today. But the rumours of Prithviraj being engaged aren't true," she clarifies. Andhra Studio.As she's gearing up for her next schedule of Raavan, the actress is thrilled that she got the opportunity to interact with Abhishek Bachchan, who's her co-star in the film. "He's a cool guy and completely down-to-earth. Though he kept to himself for the most part, when I fell sick on the sets, he was concerned and kept asking me if I was feeling ok," she says.

And now that she's made her Sandalwood debut, Priya is excited that she's sharing screen space with Puneet Rajkumar in Ram. "We're shooting at a brisk pace. We are doing three scenes a day and KK sir is very good with the camera. And, of course, Puneet is a fabulous co-star," she says.


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