As she entered the next decade, Genelia began taking on slightly more mature roles while maintaining her youthful charm.
Directed by Bhaskar and co-starring Siddharth, is considered a milestone in Telugu romantic cinema. Genelia played Hasini , a carefree, innocent, and pure-hearted girl whose character contrast with a strict family structure drives the plot. Her dialogue "Haha... Hasini" became a pop-culture phenomenon. For her performance, she won her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu and a Nandi Special Jury Award. Happy (2006)