Roja – the name reminds of a welcoming smile, talent and sheer dynamism! With a successful stint in cinema, politics & TV shows, Roja is currently is on top of the game now. Her upcoming TV reality show Rachabanda is gearing up for telecast soon and here is an iQlik exclusive chitchat with the actress turned politician:

Hello Roja garu…
Hi...

What made you accept a reality show like Rachabanda?
I always felt that we don’t have a good platform that discusses public issues in Telugu. As a public representative I felt Rachabanda was the right stage for me to know about public issues. Especially family relations, values and marriage system which are indeed the backbones of our society are deteriorating these days. So, felt Rachabanda could focus on vital issues like these.

How was your experience while working for the show?
I understood that small issues blow out of proportion leading to troublesome problems. Alcoholism and domestic violence are the biggest problem for women now. Moreover, couples are getting into ego issues without a focus on solving the problem. I am working hard to understand and come up with a solution for them.

Your key realization during the show?
Though women gain most of the sympathy, men and women are being equally victimized in these conflicts.

Where do you think the justice system is going wrong?
The laws are quite good but there is no awareness about them. 498A section is being widely misused. People are lodging it without any strong reason and they should understand the implications of it.

Apart from being a successful actress and politician you are also a family woman. What is the suggestion you would give for such people?
I believe that every family has issues and we need to deal with them properly. The troubled couple should come forward to discuss constructively and not by finding faults.

Cinema, politics and TV, how did you plan the versatility in your career so far?
Well, I never planned out my career. You know I always wanted to be an air hostess while I was very young. I accidentally became an actress and then a politician. I like taking up challenges and I’ve keep taking up at every stage of my life.

What’s your take on the criticism over the controversial Jabardasth show?
It depends on how we perceive. Our system is in such a way that there is always something to point out. If the show was really vulgar I wouldn’t have done it at all. I too have a family who watches the show and guess what… families are enjoying the show most. I strongly feel these allegations are baseless.

Before you ventured out, actresses like Jayasudha, Sumalatha and Jeevitha did similar shows of this sort. What difference can you make?
Yes, they did. But I think none of them including public representatives like Jayasudha garu et al could bring the issues to the legislative houses. As an MLA, I have my own edge and want to address the issues to the extent possible.

You worked hard as an actress and faced troubles even after venturing into politics. How do you deal with it?
I have always been a tomboy and grew up so. I had this questioning attitude and believed in going forward with little stubbornness. I must admit I have been getting great support from my family to maintain it.

You did a powerful character like the one in Golimaar movie. Will you be doing such films in future?
That character is quite close to my heart and instantly liked it when Puri Jagannadh narrated the story. However, I don’t think I can play mother roles as of now. Moreover it depends on the versatile scripts that find me.

Do you have any regrets as an actress till date?
I never had regrets on doing a character until I saw Ramya Krishna doing ‘Sivagami’ role in Baahubali. Wish I got that role and I could work in the direction of Rajamouli!

Okay.. thanks and wish you the best for future endeavors!
Thanks a lot!