Anu Prabhakar, reflecting on her 25-year career as an actress, shares her disbelief at reaching such a milestone. She recalls a recent conversation with colleagues where she realized she had completed 25 years since her debut in "Hrudaya Hrudaya" on September 16. The realization brought back a flood of memories, keeping her awake that night. She nostalgically discusses how her initial days on set during college holidays made her realize her passion for acting. Anu expresses gratitude for the love and recognition she continues to receive from Kannadigas despite working in multiple languages. She remarks on the technological advancements in Kannada cinema over the years, citing the use of computer graphics in recent films like "Hagga" as a significant evolution.In today's digital age, I do miss the sense of camaraderie that existed on sets in the past. Nowadays, I notice that people on set tend to be more distant. Previously, the set felt like a close-knit family. I remember lunch breaks being spent camping under a tree at the shoot location together. There were no caravans, and Shivarajkumar himself would serve food to everyone. There used to be a clear distinction between commercial and art-house cinema. Some films were specifically made to win awards. However, nowadays, realistic films also find commercial success, which is a positive change as equal effort is put into all types of films. The love and appreciation I have received for my work have been a great blessing. It warms my heart to know that people remember me for the roles I have portrayed.

Anu Prabhakar: "I wish to see more empowering roles for women in cinema. When we look at the characters played by iconic actresses of the past like Bharathi, Aarthi, Leelavati, and Manjula, we see the depth and opportunity for performance their films provided. Subsequently, actresses such as Malashree, Sudharani, and Shruti continued that legacy by portraying strong, impactful roles on screen. These women became the backbone of their films. However, at some point, roles for women started focusing solely on glamour. I hope for a shift where women are given more substantial and empowering characters. I have been fortunate to have filmmakers offer me such roles, which in turn led to more opportunities for me. I have made a conscious decision not to play characters that are much older than my age, as I believe this could pigeonhole me into similar roles."

"My husband Raghu has been my strongest support throughout my career. The only hiatus I took from work was when my daughter Nandana was born. Yet, when the next acting opportunity arose, it was my husband Raghu who encouraged me to return to work, knowing how much I value my passion for acting."The artform. He has been a friend and partner to me. As parents, we arrange our schedules to ensure one of us is home for Nandana. With the support of my mother and Raghu's mother, we are able to raise our little girl in peace.