Yes, the KGF franchise starring Yash put the Kannada film industry on the world map, but that doesn’t mean Sandalwood wasn’t a big name before. In fact, many find it surprising, some even shocking, that leading names such as Deepika Padukone and Rakul Preet Singh started their careers in Sandalwood before moving to Bollywood.
Let’s take a look at some of the leading actresses who stepped into the entertainment world with Kannada films
Everyone knows that former CM Jayalalithaa was an actress before she forayed into politics. In 1964, the actress debuted in Kannada cinema with the film Chinnada Gombe.
Bollywood diva Deepika started her career with the Kannada film, Aishwarya, with superstar Upendra Rao. The film was released in 2006.
Actress Rakul Preet Singh, now famous across languages, including Hindi and Telugu, has also acted in a Kannada film called Gilli. It was her debut film in Kannada, which was released in 2009.
The beauty, Rashmika Mandanna, made her entry into cinema through the role of Saanvi in the Kirik Party in a Kannada film. The film was released in 2016.
Nithya Menon is a multilingual star who made her entry into films through 7 o’clock, which was released in 2011.
Evergreen Beauty Rekha starred in the CID 999 with Kannada actor Dr Raj Kumar in Operation Jackpot. She later became the queen of Bollywood.
Soundarya, the Suryavansham actress, also debuted in Kannada films with Nanna Thangi. The film was released in 1992.
Chaya Singh also made her debut with the Kannada film named Munnudi. The film was released in 2000.
