Anu Prabhakar, celebrating 25 years in the acting industry, reflects on her journey. She remembers the moment it hit her that she had reached this milestone after debuting in "Hrudaya Hrudaya" on September 16. Recalling her early days on set, she discovered her passion for acting and the support she received from fans over the years, particularly from the Kannada audience. Anu discusses the advancements in Kannada cinema, highlighting the technological progress and how it has impacted filmmaking compared to her earlier experiences.In the digital age, there is a sense of camaraderie on the sets that I miss from earlier times. Nowadays, I find that people on set are more distant. In the past, the set felt like a large family where we would bond during lunch breaks under a tree at the shooting location. There were no trailers, and even Shivarajkumar himself would serve food to everyone. There was also a clear distinction between commercial and art-house cinema. Some films were solely made to win awards. Nowadays, films aim for realism and often achieve commercial success as well, which is a positive change as equal effort is put into all types of films. The love and recognition I have received for my roles are a great blessing.

Anu Prabhakar desires to see strong roles specifically written for women. When looking at the performances of past stars like Bharathi, Aarthi, Leelavati, and Manjula, there was a significant scope for acting in the films they were part of. Actresses like Malashree, Sudharani, and Shruti continued this legacy on screen by portraying impactful roles that were crucial to their films. Unfortunately, roles for women eventually focused more on glamour than substance. Anu hopes for a change where women are given more empowering characters to portray. She is grateful for filmmakers who have entrusted her with such roles, as it has led to more opportunities for her. She consciously avoids playing characters that are older than her actual age to prevent being typecast into specific roles.

Anu's husband Raghu has been her greatest support throughout her career. The only break she took from work was for the birth of her daughter Nandana. When the opportunity to act again arose, Raghu motivated her to return to her passion, understanding her dedication to her craft.The art of parenting is a partnership that involves coordinating schedules to ensure one parent is always home for Nandana. With the support of both our mothers, we are able to raise our daughter peacefully. My husband has been not only my partner, but also a dear friend throughout this journey.