Exploring new things has always drawn Sonakshi Sinha. Yet, it took her 15 years to attempt her first Telugu film. The actor is foraying into Telugu cinema with Jatadhara, a supernatural fantasy that sees her alongside Sudheer Babu. She begins, “Language is no longer a barrier for the audience. We all watch content from different countries — Korea, Spain, and others. So, why should it be [a barrier] for actors?”

In 2014, years before the OTT boom blurred the boundaries of language, Sinha featured in Lingaa, her first Tamil offering. What took her over a decade to be South-bound again? Her packed Hindi film schedule, says the actor. “This came at the perfect time. I’d wrapped one project and had a small window before the next began. Everything, from the narration to the shoot, happened within a year,” she marvels.

What lured her further was the prospect of working with Telugu star Babu, and her unlikely character. In the Abhishek Jaiswal and Venkat Kalyan-directed fantasy film, Sinha plays Dhan Pishachini, who has guarded a gold treasure for centuries.

“Sudheer is a quiet person. I was usually exhausted under the weight of my jewellery, costume, and make-up. It took three hours to get ready every day! I’d often sit in a corner conserving energy because I’d be in a harness all day long. But whatever little interaction we had, translated beautifully on screen.”

Considering she has been part of Hindi and Telugu film sets, we pick Sinha’s brain on the ongoing debate around long work hours in the Indian film industry. She is both candid and balanced as she says, “I’ve worked for eight hours, and I’ve worked for 18! It depends on the project and the people involved. But I think if things were more organized, a lot of what takes 14 hours on set could be done in eight. Plus, the crew works much longer than us. They arrive earlier, leave later, and have families too. There needs to be more structure so everyone can have a life outside work.”

She has another wish with regard to her professional life. “I would love to do a biopic, and another period film. Lootera [2013] was my last one,” she smiles.