I prefer roles where I get to perform: Asha Sarath

The actress will play a muslim woman in Viswasapoorvam Mansoor which will hit the screens this month
I prefer roles where I get to perform: Asha Sarath

Asha Sarath, obviously, has an eye for variations. How else can one explain her choice of characters. While she plays a Muslim woman in Viswasapoorvam Mansoor, she is a cop in her Telugu debut Bhagmathi and a poet in Pavizhamalli.

Quiz her, and Asha says, "My family and personal  affairs give me little time for movies. So, I want to choose sensibly and only take on roles that allow me to perform." 

In conversation with Cinema Express, the actor opens up her career in the Malayalam industry and her quest for meaty roles. 

You have Viswasapoorvam Mansoor lined up for release and you sport a never-before-seen look in it

Yes, I play Fathibee, a Muslim woman. She is someone very relatable, the kind of loving mother we see in Muslim households. I have been to Kannur and Kozhikode a lot and have met women like her who epitomise affection and virtue. So, when director P T Kunhi Mohammed offered me this role, I could  get under the skin of the character quite easily. Besides, what really challenged me was how well-fleshed out the character was. There are many shades to her. Kunhi Mohammed has always been known for creating strong woman characters and it is the same in Viswasapoorvam Mansoor too. Not just mine, Zarina Wahab's character, too, is well carved.

Tamil actor Gauthami was actually supposed to do the role.

That's true. The character of Fathibee came to me quite late, after Gauthami couldn’t do it owing to some personal issues. I was thrilled to get it. Since I am shuttling between Dubai and India, I only take up characters that are strong and performance-oriented. This one satisfied me and I am pleased to have done it.

You will get back together with Mammootty for the Shyamdhar project.

Yes. This is the second time that we are being paired up for a movie. First, it was for Varsham. Somehow people loved our combination as it looked convincing on screen. This project is a good one. The team hasn't titled it yet. But, we hope to name it in a week. 

Pavizhamalli will have you playing Sugathakumari while Bhagmathi will mark your Telugu debut

Pavizhamalli is an ambitious project and I am reading the script. The movie will track her life, her social activities and perspectives. I will be meeting Sugathakumari teacher soon. The shoot will start in September. I am looking forward to it. But, my character in Bhagmathi is very different. After Drishyam, this movie will have me playing the role of a cop. But, not like the one we saw in Drishyam. Here, I am a CBI sleuth. In fact, Tabu was supposed to do the role and it came to me. The shoot for the movie is over. It is a female-oriented movie and Anushka Shetty plays the lead in it. It is a bilingual project and will be released in both Tamil and Telugu.

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