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Malaysian Indian entertainment industry is presently gaining recognition due to many exciting new talents. It’s invigorating to note that the younger generation isn’t afraid to take their trade across borders-something which was quite unthinkable a generation ago. Today, be it singing, hosting, acting or dancing young Malaysians continue to break barriers.

One of them is the dynamic young artiste, Sangeeta Krishnasamy, who is all set to dazzle both the local and mainland Indian film industries with her own brand of talent and unique approach. The former Miss Malaysia India finalist has all it takes to be an actress; from her statuesque figure, a pair of attractive brown eye, luscious lips o her natural flair for acting, it makes us wonder if this will be the first Malaysian lady to make waves in Tamilnadu cinema.

Acting is not new to the slender beauty as she was introduced in Malaysia’s first telemovie ‘Mattappu’ way back in 1986 as a child artiste under the direction of local director Mr. Kumar Thangaiyah. Although she did not continue with acting after that first appearance, Sangeeta remained connected to the industry through a number of modeling assignments, hosting and commercial assignments. Her modeling ventures include the L’Oreal Hair Asia Pacific Malaysia, NTV7 Stars of Diwali Concert 2006, Nikon 2007 (programme ambassador), Sonali and Swami Sivananda Hair Oil.

The bold, vivacious young lady also did not sideline her education as she is a law graduate from the University of London. In fact, after graduating she was steadily involved in the education line, working as an education consultant in President’s College Malaysia.

The passion for acting however always remained in her, although she realized the heavy commitment and hard work needed to be an actress. Having all this in mind she took up a formal acting course at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC). In KLPAC she was trained by the revered First Lady of Malaysian theatre, Dato’ Faridah Merican and her husband Joe Hasham.

“The entire experience was splendid and it is vividly stored in my mind even if I recall it today. As I walked in to see the producer/director Renny Martin, he handed me a script that was as thick as the law books that I’d read before. I can’t read Tamil; so he sat and explained the entire screenplay to me. It was a very challenging lead role that required a great deal of effort and hard work. Though I was excited to do such an intricate role as a beginner, I was apprehensive because it was my first acting stint since my child artiste role in Mattappu.

But to my surprise the director chose me without an audition. He told me that he did so because he trusted his instincts and believed that I would be able to do it. No one can go wrong if they are guided in the right way. I was immensely touched by his inspiring words. The confidence he had in me drove me to give my best. I certainly gained a lot of experience and knowledge after acting in Mannipu. It’s time to express my gratitude to the Mannipu crew members who was very helpful in guiding me throughout the drama. After the successful completion of Mannipu, I gradually developed deep interest in acting.”

From then on there was no looking back for the young lady. She continued acting in a stretch of other local telemovies namely Satyam Sivam Sundram and Deepa Kondattam.

When Indian director Venkat Prabhu was shooting ‘Goa’ in Langkawi, Sangeeta was chosen to do a supporting role which triggered her interest towards making inroads into the highly competitive Tamilnadu market. Her small role in Goa was noticed and Sangeeta was soon being approached by many talented local directors to act in various telemovies such as “Narmadha”, “I Know What You Did Last Deepavali”, “Bangsar Villa’s”, A Night Before Christmas”, “Natpu Natpu”, “Netru Illathe Matram” and “Natpugal Pirivadhilai”. The charismatic actress is also notable for her performance in a Singaporean thriller drama called “Asthram”, along leading actors Sivakumar, ‘Neruppu’ Guna and others mega serial actors from Chennai.

“Throughout my career as an actress I have done quite a number of roles from being a student, single mother, corporate figure to an action based character. It is always interesting to attempt different type of roles as it will be a whole new experience for me as an actress. For me, acting is all about constant learning of skills to improve self performance and to enhance our self esteem as actors.

Each time I work with a different director I learn something new. There are usually two types of directors, one who will want you to deliver exactly what they have in their mind and the other that gives you the freedom of exploring the character on your own and express the best. I am always my worst critic; I have never felt totally contented with my performance as I am very careful about even the most trivial things when it comes to acting. There is always a constant urge in me to perform better which I think is essential to perk up my acting skills”, said the multi lingual actress who also speaks Hindi and French, besides Tamil, English and Malay.

More excitingly, the light-eyed actress is also doing an action in a yet to be released Malaysia-India collaboration Tamil Movie called “ZHA” alongside actors Prithiveeraj and Raghav under the direction of Venkat Ramani. A Kanada film too in progress for the buzzing actress.

The second of four siblings, Sangeeta is of pure south Indian descent although there is often the misperception that she is of mixed parentage due to her light complexion. “I was born and brought up in Kuala Lumpur. So, basically I am an urban girl with a modest upbringing. My father was an aeronautical engineer and an avid reader with communism ideologies and firmly believed in a classless society. He was a great man who taught us the significance of humility and the fact that success is not measured by our wealth but by the respect and love gained through knowledge. It’s hard to face the fact my father passed away –last year. More than a father he was a best friend to me.

My mother was a beautician/make-up artist who has worked for Kanebo and Sisheido, Japan. Her artistic personality is always an inspiration for me and my siblings to take care of our health and outlook. Both my parents have always respected my decision and raised me well to be an independent woman,” she said.

The well spoken, charming Sangeeta has a special interest for reading and instead of mainstream chick-flicks, she loves reading political biographies and literature! Works by Paulo Coelho, known best for his “Alchemist” and Malcolm Caldwell often fill her leisure time.

“Besides my dad, I am greatly inspired by Paulo’s saying; what matters the most is not where you begin or arrive at but the experiences of the journey’. Apart from reading I love travelling. Many people are taken by surprise when they see me travelling but believe me, I’m a total backpackers are the ones who really experience the people’s way of living in places they visit and learn to appreciate modesty in life.

I am the type of person who doesn’t limit me from doing anything adventurous. I love to explore and learn a lot of new things. Recently, I took up taekwondo and Thai kickboxing. Martial arts are very interesting. It helps me with my body language when I am acting.”

On a parting note, Sangeeta packs some salient advice for upcoming Malaysian talents. “There is great opportunity to achieve in this industry. Good preparation will help to make your journey easier. It’s very important to be passionate and to have the willingness to adapt and learn quickly.”

(As reported in CINEFASHION 2011)