Financial worries, no work for 6 months but no regret: Keerthy Suresh on life after Mahanati despite winning a National Award

Keerthy Suresh is one of the most versatile actresses in the Indian film industry. She is currently gearing up for the release of her upcoming series Akka, co-starring Radhika Apte. The period crime thriller will premiere on Netflix on October 30, 2026. Ahead of its release, both of them have been promoting the series, and in one of the interviews, Keerthy opened up about the challenges she faced after the success of Mahanati.

Starring Keerthy alongside Dulquer Salmaan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Vijay Deverakonda, the 2018 biographical drama follows the life of legendary actress Savitri through the accounts of two journalists investigating her story while she lies in a coma. Keerthy won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance. However, the fame did not immediately turn into more work.

Why did Keerthy Suresh receive no film offers after Mahanati?

The actress recalled going six months without film offers, a period that also affected her finances. Keerthy believes filmmakers were unsure about the roles they could offer her after Mahanati.

She explained during conversation with News18, "It’s very funny. I believe that I wasn’t getting film offers because people were confused about where to place me. After Mahanati, they couldn’t see me through the same lens that they were earlier seeing me with. They knew that they had to bring something meaty to me. It was a nice feeling and I took it in the right way."


Keerthy also admitted that she needed a break after working on films continuously. However, the situation became worrying when she realised that, "In a way, I was happy until I realised that my financial stability was going for a toss. But in those six months, I started doing nicer things.

Despite these difficulties, she used the time to think about the kind of work she wanted to pursue. Before Mahanati, she had largely appeared in commercial films, often playing the girl-next-door whose role was limited in the larger story. The biopic allowed her to take on a demanding character.

How the six-month break changed her approach to health

The break also gave Keerthy time to focus on her health. She revealed that, "From 2013 to 2018, I only used to shoot, eat, sleep and repeat. There was nothing called workout in my life. I was like, ‘Mera face toh kaam kar raha hai, why do I’ve to worry about my body?’ But that wasn’t the right perspective. I was a little plump and I wanted to get healthy – not because I wanted to look a certain way."

However, she later realised that getting healthier was important for her own well-being. Keerthy clarified that her transformation was not driven by a desire to achieve a particular look but by the need to take better care of herself.

In May this year, the actress also addressed body-shaming in an Instagram post. She pointed out that people had criticised her when she was heavier and later said they preferred her earlier appearance after she lost weight. She also clarified that her transformation was the result of hard work and not surgery.

Keerthy said she began working out for the first time during those six months. She also tried on different clothes and styles, a change in how she approached her look and her lifestyle. Working all the time had made her miss out on things, and this time gave her a chance to focus on them.

Despite the professional uncertainty and financial pressure of six months off work, Keerthy said she does not regret it. The experience, she says, taught her valuable lessons about herself, her career and money management.

The break also helped her reassess her priorities and become more conscious of her choices.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Keerthy will next be seen in Akka, alongside Radhika Apte. Set in the fictional South Indian city of Pernuru, the Netflix series revolves around a powerful, women-led crime syndicate. Keerthy essays the role of Bhavani, the reigning ruler who must protect her family's criminal empire when Rudra, played by Radhika, arrives to challenge its control.

The series premieres on October 30, 2026.