Anu Prabhakar, reflecting on her 25-year acting career, shared how she was still processing the milestone. Recalling her debut in the film "Hrudaya Hrudaya" on September 16, she mentioned the moment when the realization hit her during a conversation with friends. The flood of memories kept her up that night. She reminisced about her early days on set, realizing her passion for acting. Anu also expressed gratitude for the enduring support of Kannadigas, who still recognize her as a Kannada actress despite her work in other languages. She acknowledged the advancements in technology in Kannada cinema over the years, citing examples like the use of computer graphics in recent films.In this digital age, I miss the sense of camaraderie on sets from the past. Nowadays, I notice a more distant atmosphere among people on set. In the past, the set felt like a large family, with lunch breaks spent camping under a tree at the shoot location together. There were no caravans, and Shivarajkumar himself would personally serve food to everyone. The divide between commercial and art-house cinema was more pronounced back then. Some films were exclusively made for awards, whereas today, realistic films often find commercial success as well. It's heartening to see this positive change, as effort is put into all types of films. The support and love I've received from fans, past and present, is truly a blessing. It means a lot to me that people remember me for the roles I've portrayed.
Anu Prabhakar expressed her desire to see more strong roles written for women in the film industry. Looking back at the performances of legendary stars like Bharathi, Aarthi, Leelavati, and Manjula, as well as more recent actors like Malashree, Sudharani, and Shruti, she admires the depth of character they had the opportunity to portray on screen. Anu hopes for a shift away from women being reduced to glamorous roles only and longs for more substantial, empowering characters for female actors. She acknowledges the filmmakers who have offered her such roles and believes that taking on diverse characters has opened up new opportunities for her career. Anu is careful not to take on roles that are too far from her age, as she feels it could limit her in future roles.
Anu credits her husband, Raghu, as her greatest support in her career. She only took a break from work when her daughter, Nandana, was born. It was Raghu who encouraged her to return to acting when the next opportunity arose, understanding and supporting her passion for her work.The artform of parenting is a partnership and friendship for us. To ensure that one of us is always home for Nandana, we carefully coordinate our schedules as parents. We are grateful to have the support of both my mother and Raghu’s mother, who play a crucial role in helping us raise our daughter and contribute to our peace of mind.
