Richa Panai shot to fame with a jewellery ad and that made her a familiar face in Kerala. It opened doors to films and her debut Malayalam release, Vaadamalli, will hit the theatres today.

Directed by Alberrt Antoni, the film has a few fresh faces and has been produced by Sunil Chandrika Nair of Zoe Estebe Moviez.

In an exclusive interview with Meghna Geroge, Richa talks about movies and more.

How excited are you about Vaadamalli?

I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the movie. It was a great experience shooting for the movie and with so many youngsters around, we had a wonderful time.

Vaadamalli is a suspense thriller and the story revolves around my character. It's a love story and there is comedy as well. It will appeal to families and is going to be a wholesome entertainer.

What is your character in the movie like?

You are from Dehradun, so how do you play this Malayali girl?

(Laughs) The climate was very hot while shooting for the movie in Kerala and I got a bit tanned and that has helped me look convincing as a Malayali girl. Of course, I love to do films in Malayalam as Kerala has given me a lot as far as my career is concerned. I love being in Kerala and I am in the process of learning Malayalam now.

How helpful was the jewellery ad in shaping your career in movies?

I had met the director of the ad in Mumbai and he selected me. We did the shooting in Kochi and it became so popular that I am getting all these roles in movies because of that.

Do you dream about a career in Hindi films soon?

I think every actor's dream is to get into Bollywood. But I am in no hurry. I am not going to take any shortcuts and I am ready to wait for the right offers.

What kind of movies do you watch?