She Fought Her Dad for One Film With Venkatesh—The Real Story Is Surprisingly Sweet

Most heroines would jump at the chance to work with South star Venkatesh. But one actress actually fought with her own father to star in a film with him. Find out who she is and the whole story behind it.

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One of the heroes who built Tollywood..

Victory Venkatesh is one of the four pillars of Tollywood. He built a massive female fanbase with his family-oriented blockbusters. Many heroines dreamed of working with him, but one actress, Khushbu Sundar, even went against her father's wishes to star in a film with him.

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The heroine who shook the industry

Khushbu Sundar was a top actress who ruled the South film industry for decades. She made her Telugu debut with Venkatesh in 'Kaliyuga Pandavulu'. Khushbu revealed on the show 'Alitho Saradaga' that her father was against her doing a Telugu film. She actually had a big fight with him to sign the movie.

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Fought with her father to get into Telugu films..

Khushbu's father advised her to focus on Bollywood instead. But she couldn't refuse the Telugu offer. The film was directed by K. Raghavendra Rao, who had delivered Hindi hits like 'Himmatwala' and 'Toofani'. Plus, the legendary D. Ramanaidu was producing it under Suresh Productions. Khushbu said, "The moment I heard Ramanaidu garu is the producer and Raghavendra Rao garu is the director, I knew it was a huge film. I agreed immediately without a second thought."

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The moment I first saw Venkatesh

Khushbu vividly remembers the moment she first saw Venkatesh. She was surprised to learn that the hero was producer D. Ramanaidu's son. She recalls thinking, 'Oh wow! A film with a big banner's heir will definitely be a grand launch.' She said, 'I can never forget seeing Venkatesh for the first time at their old Jubilee Hills house in Hyderabad. He came in a white-and-white dress and introduced himself with an Americanized accent, saying, 'Hi, I am Venky!' It's still fresh in my mind.' The film's photo shoot happened in late December 1985, and it was launched in Chennai on January 1, 1986. Khushbu feels that starting her South Indian career with 'Kaliyuga Pandavulu' was the best decision of her life.