There is a growing perception that Telugu films are failing to build the careers of Bollywood actresses.
Instead of offering them performance-oriented roles, many filmmakers appear to be casting them primarily for glamour, leaving little scope to showcase their acting abilities.
Janhvi Kapoor, for instance, entered Telugu cinema with high hopes through Devara and Peddi. However, both films turned out to be disappointing from her perspective.
In Devara, she had little to do beyond appearing in a song, while her role in Peddi invited heavy criticism from Bollywood circles.
Reports suggest that Janhvi was so disappointed with the outcome that she did not even post about the film on social media after its release.
A similar situation appears to have unfolded for Rasha Thadani, daughter of Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon.
She made her Telugu debut with Srinivasa Mangapuram, but the film failed miserably at the box office. More importantly, it offered her very little opportunity to display her talent, making it unlikely to generate fresh offers for the young actress.
According to industry sources, Rasha is also upset with the way her Telugu debut turned out.
On the other hand, Bhagyashri Borse’s journey has been different. Despite facing multiple setbacks early in her career, she continued accepting the roles that came her way and finally tasted success with Lenin, one of this month’s hits.
However, since she began her acting career in Telugu cinema itself, she cannot strictly be categorized as a Bollywood actress or someone who entered the industry through a Bollywood background, even though she was born in Maharashtra.
Whatever the case may be, a growing sentiment within the industry is that Telugu filmmakers often bring in Bollywood actresses more for their glamour quotient than for substantial, performance-driven roles.
As a result, instead of strengthening their careers, a single Telugu film can sometimes leave them struggling to make an impact, raising questions about whether Tollywood is truly the right launchpad for Bollywood heroines.