Sreeleela (alternatively spelt as Sree Leela;[1][2] born June 14, 2001) is an American actress of Indian origin who predominantly works in Telugu and Kannada cinema. She began her career as a child artist in 2017, before playing a leading role in the 2019 Kannada film Kiss, and then starred in the Telugu films Pelli SandaD (2021) and Dhamaka (2022). The lattermost won her the SIIMA Award for Best Actress – Telugu.
Sreeleela | |
|---|---|
 Leela in 2022 | |
| Born | June 14, 2001 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2017–present |
Personal life
editSree Leela was born on June 14, 2001[3] into a Telugu family in Detroit, Michigan, US,[4] and was brought up in Bangalore, India.[5][6] Her mother, Swarnalatha, is a gynecologist based in Bangalore.[7] Swarnalatha was married to industrialist Surapaneni Subhakara Rao, and Leela was born to Swarnalatha after the couple's separation.[6][8] Leela began her training in Bharatanatyam dance as a child. She aspires to become a doctor[3] and as of 2021 was in the final year of her MBBS.[9] In February 2022, she adopted two disabled children.[10]
Career
edit2017–2020: Early career
editLeela made her film debut in Chitrangada (2017), portraying the younger version of Sindhu Tolani's character.[11] Director A. P. Arjun came across Leela's pictures, taken by cinematographer Bhuvan Gowda, on social media and cast her in his 2019 film, Kiss. The actress has stated that she chose to start her career in Kannada-language films as she grew up in Bangalore, despite having contacts in Telugu cinema.[12]
Filming for Kiss began in 2017, while Leela was in the first year of her pre-university course.[3] The film was released in 2019 and proved successful at the box office.[13] A. Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express stated that Leela made a confident debut, writing, "Sreeleela looks stylish and garners equal attention."[14] Times of India critic Vinay Lokesh echoed the sentiment by stating that Leela shined in her role.[15] A month later, her second film, Bharaate, opposite Sriimurali, was released.[16] Reviewing her performance for The News Minute, Aravind Shwetha wrote: "Leela is good and holds her own along with Sri Murali when it comes to acting and screen presence."[17] Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express wrote that, "This is Sreeleela's second film, and she seems to be getting comfortable with being in front of the camera, and delivers what the role demands."[18]
2021–present
edit
In 2021, Leela was cast in the romantic musical film Pelli SandaD, marking her debut in Telugu cinema.[19] The actress described her character as a "role to die for".[20] While the film received negative reviews, Leela's role garnered appreciation from critics.[21] Sangeetha Devi of The Hindu called the film a "costly showreel" of the lead pair, Roshan and Leela, opining that they looked fresh and effervescent but lacked chemistry.[22]
In 2022, she starred in the Kannada romantic comedy By Two Love. Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express felt it was "a delight to watch" her in the film.[23] A review from Deccan Herald opined that while she was impressive, Leela's Kannada pronunciation had room for improvement.[24] She later made a special appearance in the song "Trademark" from the 2022 film James.[25] Following the success of Pelli SandaD, Leela received multiple offers in Telugu films.[21][26] She next starred in Dhamaka, beside Ravi Teja. The film was a box office success.[27]
She then starred in Skanda, with Ram Pothineni.[28] The film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and was a commercial failure.[29] Leela then appeared in Bhagavanth Kesari, alongside Nandamuri Balakrishna and Kajal Aggarwal, directed by Anil Ravipudi. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics,[30] though it was a box office success, becoming one of the top-grossing Telugu films of 2023.[31] Sreeleela was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu for her performance.[32] She then appeared in the film Aadikeshava, opposite Panja Vaisshnav Tej and directed by Srikanth N Reddy, which too was a critical and commercial failure.[33] She also starred in Extra Ordinary Man, opposite Nithin, which came out on December 8, 2023. The film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb.[34]
In 2024, Sreeleela played the lead opposite Mahesh Babu in Guntur Kaaram.[35] Neeshita Nyayapati of Hindustan Times wrote, "While Sreeleela dances like a dream, her character could've had some bearing on the story in the least."[36] This film was also a box-office flop.[37]
Filmography
edit| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Chitrangada | Young Shalini Devi | Telugu | Child artist | [11] |
| 2019 | Kiss | Nandini | Kannada | [38] | |
| Bharaate | Radha | Kannada | [17] | ||
| 2021 | Pelli SandaD | Kondaveeti Sahasra | Telugu | [22] | |
| 2022 | By Two Love | Leela | Kannada | [39] | |
| James | Herself | Kannada | Special appearance in the song "Trademark" | [40] | |
| Dhamaka | Pranavi Reddy | Telugu | [41] | ||
| 2023 | Skanda | Sreeleela Reddy | Telugu | [42] | |
| Bhagavanth Kesari | Vijayalakshmi | Telugu | [43] | ||
| Aadikeshava | Chitra | Telugu | [44] | ||
| Extra Ordinary Man | Likitha | Telugu | [45] | ||
| 2024 | Guntur Kaaram | Amukta | Telugu | [46] | |
| Pushpa 2: The Rule † | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "Kissik" | [47] | ||
| 2025 | Mass Jathara † | TBA | Telugu | Filming | [48] |
| TBA | Robinhood † | Neera Vasudev | Telugu | Filming | [49] |
| Ustaad Bhagat Singh † | TBA | Telugu | Delayed | [50] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Film | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Kiss | SIIMA | Best Female Debut – Kannada | Won | [51] |
| 2022 | Pelli SandaD | SIIMA | Most Promising Newcomer (Female) | Won | [52] |
| 2023 | Dhamaka | SIIMA | Best Actress – Telugu | Won | [53] |
| 2024 | Bhagavanth Kesari | SIIMA | Best Actress – Telugu | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Filmfare Awards South | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu | Nominated | [32] | |
| 2024 | IIFA Utsavam | Best Actress – Telugu | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "'RRR' director SS. Rajamouli launches Gali Janardhan Reddy's son's film". The Times of India. March 4, 2022. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Sree Leela is not my daughter, says this telugu business man". ZEE5. October 18, 2021. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c "KISS debutante determined to be a doctor". Cinema Express. October 15, 2017. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
Sreeleela, who is getting ready to face the camera at the tender age of 16.
- ^ "Sreeleela". manoramaonline.com. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ Adivi, Sashidhar (February 14, 2022). "Ravi Teja is full of energy: Sreeleela". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ a b "Industrialist Clarifies PelliSandaD Heroine Sree Leela Is Not His Daughter". Sakshi Post. October 17, 2021. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Mum's the word". The New Indian Express. June 10, 2020. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Pelli SandaD heroine Sree Leela is not my daughter: Subhakara Rao Suprapaneni states in a press meet". The Times of India. October 17, 2021. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ Vyas (November 29, 2021). "Pelli SadaD heroine busy with exams!". The Hans India. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Sreeleela adopts two differently-abled kids". The Times of India. February 12, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022.
- ^ a b Mounika (June 14, 2023). "శ్రీలీల చైల్డ్ ఆర్టిస్ట్ గా నటించిన చిత్రం ఏదో తెలుసా..?". Manam News.
- ^ "Bhuvan Gowda's pictures of me landed me in Kannada films: Actress Sree Leela". The Times of India. November 14, 2018. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023.
- ^ "Kiss Movie: Viraat, Sree Leela-starrer Kiss crosses 100th day milestone". Bangalore Mirror. February 18, 2020. Archived from the original on July 15, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ Sharadhaa (September 20, 2020). "A youthful but unduly stretched affair". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ Vinay Lokesh (September 27, 2019). "Kiss movie review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Interview | Expect no shades of 'KISS' in 'Bharaate', says actress Sreeleela". The New Indian Express. October 14, 2019. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "'Bharaate' review: Sri Murali film is all mass with too many subplots". The News Minute. October 18, 2019. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "'Bharaate' film review: All-round entertainer from Chethan Kumar and Sriimurali". The New Indian Express. October 19, 2019. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Not much difference between Sandalwood and Tollywood: Sreeleela". The New Indian Express. May 8, 2021. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ "I got a role to die for in my Telugu film debut: Sreeleela". The Times of India. January 13, 2021. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022.
- ^ a b "Does Sreeleela demand Rs 1 crore for a film?". The Times of India. February 3, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ a b Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (October 16, 2021). "'Pelli SandaD' movie review: Done and dusted old school romance". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "By Two Love is all about relationship management". The New Indian Express. February 19, 2022. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022.
- ^ "'By Two Love' review: An epic misfire". Deccan Herald. February 18, 2022. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "'James': Rachita Ram, Sreeleela, and others shine in the Trademark single from the Puneeth Rajkumar starrer". The Times of India. March 2022. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Chanti, Rajani (October 17, 2021). "Sree Leela: వివాదంలో పెళ్ళిసందD హీరోయిన్...శ్రీలీల నా కూతురు కాదంటూ..." TV9 Telugu (in Telugu). Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "OTT: ఈ వారం ఓటీటీలో బ్లాక్ బస్టర్ సినిమాలు.. వీకెండ్ ఎంజాయ్మెంట్ వేరే లెవల్!". Samayam Telugu (in Telugu). Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ "Boyapati Rapo movie climax shot for 24 days". June 2, 2023. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "Skanda: The expected OTT release date of the Ram Pothineni starrer is here". OTTPlay.
film tanked at the box office
- ^ "Bhagavanth Kesari: Where director Anil Ravipudi proves it's possible to make a meaningful massy film". OTTplay.com. October 21, 2023.
- ^ "Nandamuri Balakrishna and Sreeleela snapped at Bhagavanth Kesari's success event; PICS". Pinkvilla. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ^ a b "Nominations for Filmfare Awards Telugu 2024 are out!". Filmfare. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ "Aadikeshava OTT release date-When and where to watch the Vaisshnav Tej, Sreeleela starrer". OTTPlay. November 28, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ "Extra Ordinary Man OTT release date – Here's when the Nithin-Sreeleela starrer will stream online". ottplay.com. January 13, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "SSMB28 titled Guntur Kaaram; Mahesh Babu releases adrenaline-fuelled teaser on father Krishna's birth anniversary". May 31, 2023. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "Guntur Kaaram review: Mahesh Babu is the saving grace of this bland film with nothing new to offer". Hindustan Times. January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Guntur Kaaram final box office collections: Mahesh Babu close with 172Cr Worldwide". Pinkvilla. February 8, 2024.
- ^ "KISS boosts Sreeleela's confidence". Cinema Express. September 24, 2019. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Sharadha A. (December 19, 2020). "Dhanveerrah and Sreeleela to star in 'By2Love'". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ "Puneeth Rajkumar's 'James': An absolute action adieu". The New Indian Express. March 19, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
- ^ "Sreeleela all set for Dhamaka with Ravi Teja, reveals best advice he gave her I Exclusive". December 21, 2022. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "#BoyapatiRAPO: Sreeleela joins the shoot of Ram Pothineni, Boypati Sreenu's film". The Times of India. January 5, 2023. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "Nandamuri Balakrishna, Anil Ravipudi, and Sree Leela's '#NBK108' title launch to take place in 108 locations". The Times of India. June 7, 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
- ^ "Panja Vaisshnav Tej, Sreeleela, movie launched the film is scheduled for 2023 Sankranthi release". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
- ^ "Extraordinary Man: Nithiin and Sreeleela's film warps up 60% of shooting". The Times of India. August 25, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ^ "After Dhamaka success, Sreeleela bags Mahesh Babu's SSMB 28 with Trivikram Srinivas | Exclusive". India Today. January 9, 2023. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ "Pushpa 2: The Rule: First look poster of Sreeleela unveiled from 'Kissik' song in Allu Arjun starrer". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ "Ravi Teja's 75th film announced: Title, genre, heroine, and release date revealed". OTTPlay. October 30, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ "Actress Sreeleela Plays Neera Vasudev in Nithiin-starrer Robinhood!". Times Now News. June 14, 2024.
- ^ "Pawan Kalyan's 'Ustaad Bhagat Singh' with Harish Shankar on hold? All we know". India Today. July 17, 2023.
- ^ "2019 Kannada WINNERS LIST". SIIMA. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ "SIIMA 2022: Check full list of winners". Deccan Herald. September 19, 2022. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ "SIIMA Awards 2023". Indian Express. September 16, 2023.
