In South Indian films, it’s emotion that carries the content, says Sonia Birje

Sonia Birje, daughter of Adventures of Tarzan fame actor Hemant Birje, has worked in Hindi and Telugu films and is now making her Kannada cinema debut with Psyche. She recently shot a special dance number in Mysore for the film, directed by Mahesh Devu.
‘WORKING IN THE KANNADA INDUSTRY FELT NATURAL AND COMFORTABLE’
Although her full-fledged role will appear in the film’s second part, Sonia enjoyed her experience on Psyche. “The choreography team and dancers were so supportive. I’m not familiar with the language, but they made me feel at home,” she says. She is learning Kannada and hopes to dub her lines herself. “An actor’s voice is important. I’d love to deliver my dialogues in my voice for the second part,” she adds.
‘THE SOUTH FILM INDUSTRY IS MORE EMOTIONALLY DRIVEN’
Having worked in Hindi and Telugu cinema, Sonia sees a defining difference. “South industries, both Telugu and Kannada, are more emotion-driven—that’s their biggest strength. In Bollywood, some stories lean more on style. Here, it’s emotion that carries the content,” she tells us.
‘I EARNED EVERY OPPORTUNITY, IT DIDN’T COME TO ME BECAUSE OF DAD’
Addressing assumptions about nepotism, Sonia is clear that the opportunities she’s gotten is because of her hard work. “There was no nepotism in my case; nothing was handed over to me. I’ve worked hard for every single opportunity. Some projects didn’t release, which was heartbreaking, but my Telugu films happened purely on merit. People respect me because of my father, but it hasn’t translated into jobs—otherwise, I’d have done many more films by now,” she avers.
‘BREAKING INTO THE INDUSTRY IS A VERY BIG CHALLENGING’
Sonia admits the industry has its challenges. “Even if you deserve a role, you might not get called. The camps people talk about are real, and breaking into them is difficult. Deserving talent often doesn’t even get to audition,” she says. “When preparation meets opportunity, magic happens. Luck plays a role too — sometimes it’s written for you, sometimes it’s not. But you must keep honing your craft and keep showing up,” she laments.