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16 Jul 2025, 8:25 am

A 19-year-old Malayali girl from Thrissur is winning hearts in Telugu cinema, one season at a time. With raw talent, years of martial arts practice, and a quiet determination, Ananthika Sanilkumar has found her place in the spotlight and, most importantly, in herself.

In her own words, “Shuddhi gave me confidence.” That confidence came not just from playing the lead in director Phanindra Narsetti’s film 8 Vasantalu, but from the personal journey that came with it.

Ananthika’s story begins far away from the sets of Varanasi or the hills of Kashmir. She started her artistic life as a background dancer at events through her institute, which blended contemporary dance and Kalari. “Now I’m practising Kalari alone,” she says. Martial arts came into her life early – she started learning Karate in class 3, earned her black belt in class 5, and her black second in class 6. Eventually, her interest faded, but her love for physical challenges didn’t. “So that’s how I got into Kalari,” she explains. “It’s very vast, and I have a strong connection with it.”

But the journey hasn’t been easy. At one point, while practising a backflip, she injured her spine badly. “It got bent, and I was on rest for one year,” she recalls. Still, she kept going.

Now based in Bangalore, where she’s pursuing BA LLB, Ananthika juggles law and acting. Her acting career started in school with a small Malayalam role in Padavettu, which didn’t make the final cut. She also worked on a Telugu film in 10th standard, Rajahmundry Rosemilk, which hasn’t released yet. Her first proper release was in Tamil, Raid followed by Lal Salaam and the hit MAD in Telugu. But it was 8 Vasantalu that changed everything.

“When I read the full synopsis, it was the first time I finished reading one in one stretch,” she remembers. “I knew I had to do it.”

The first meeting with director Phanindra Narsetti was emotional. “Me, my mother and sister were crying with joy,” she shares. But it wasn’t an easy decision; she was still in the 12th standard, writing board exams, and her managers even warned her not to take up the project. “They said there were no famous faces, no marketing possibility. But I wanted to do this. Even if I do many projects in future, this one will always stay with me.”

8 Vasantalu follows the journey of a girl through love, pain, strength, and rebirth, just like the seasons. Nature is a silent witness, with scenes set in misty Ooty, soulful Varanasi, and the breathtaking Kashmir valley. “I had never been to Ooty before. But Kashmir was my favourite,” she smiles. “It was calm, peaceful and beautiful. The people were so lovely.”

Ananthika plays Shuddhi, a complex character with depth. “Every character had layers,” she says. “Usually, I feel like the hero has more to perform. But here, everything was balanced – romance, fights, friendships, and even women's empowerment.”

The film also included an intense fight sequence shot in Varanasi, using the Wing Chun technique. “We trained for three months, and it took a week to shoot. I used to sleep by 10-11, but the action was shot at night. I got used to it,” she laughs. “I didn’t use ropes; it was a basic-level stunt. I enjoy injuries. It makes me feel like I’ve done something.”

In a scene where Shuddhi is denied the right to light her master’s funeral pyre because she is a woman, Ananthika says, “I was so happy reading that dialogue. The entire cast read the script together. I cried while reading it.”

One monologue stands out for her, where Shuddhi’s mother tells her she is a queen. It reminded her of her mother, who supported her through everything. “We weren’t financially sound. But for all my classical performances, my parents spent a lot without telling me. Till 10th, it was all them. Now that I’m working, I have some peace that I don’t have to disturb them anymore.”

The film’s styling was done by Sumaya Alam, also in her debut. “You can see how the costume colours change with the emotions. First, Shuddhi is in black, then red when she’s in love, and again black during heartbreak. In Kashmir, the outfits matched the setting perfectly.”

Originally titled 12 Vasantalu, it was trimmed to 8 Vasantalu, revealing the meaning only at the end. For Ananthika, the film’s title itself holds power.

As a native Malayalam speaker, Telugu wasn’t easy. “In this film, my character is a writer. So the dialogues were hard. I had a long notebook, I wrote each line in Malayalam, then in English to learn it.” With help from the director and lots of rehearsals, she managed. “Now I’ve got a lot of Telugu friends. I love going to Hyderabad.”

On screen, her performance felt mature beyond her age. “People are surprised I’m only 19. But maturity doesn’t come with age. It’s the people you meet and the experiences you have,” she reflects.

Living as Shuddhi

After the film wrapped, returning to daily life was tough. “I don’t wear bangles or nose rings in real life, just bindi and earrings. When I looked in the mirror after the shoot ended, I felt like this is not me. Something is missing. It took time to come out of Shuddhi Ayodhya.”

If Shuddhi were to meet Ananthika in real life? “She would tell me, Just be confident,” she says without hesitation. “The only difference between us is the writing part and her no-phone lifestyle. Otherwise, I relate to everything, especially the martial arts.”

There’s one line in the film that she carries with her:

“A fellow writer once joked... My book rays reached people only because I was beautiful. But it made me think. When hardworking women are beautiful, people often ignore their effort and say success came because of looks…”

When director Phanindra Narsetti first met her, he reminded her of the same thing: that people only see the curated version of someone on Instagram. “But he called me for my skill.”

“Mythri Productions could have easily chosen someone else. But they trusted me,” she says. “I didn’t even audition; they called me directly. After my exams, I came to Hyderabad the next day and started prepping for dialogues.”

She’s had her share of struggles, long waits on set, scripts being changed without notice, and shoot days being cut short. “It’s sad,” she says. “Earlier, I was told to stay quiet. But now, I speak up.”

Despite it all, 8 Vasantalu put her on the map. “I saw myself in Netflix’s top 10. It made me so happy.”

The proudest moment? The climax scene, when Shuddhi reads the letter and runs. "Every day had something special. I knew the entire team personally. After shoot ended, it felt like leaving my family.”

For now, Ananthika is finally ready to call herself an actor. “Before, I wasn’t confident enough to say it out loud. But after 8 Vasantalu, I can confidently say I am an actor.”