Anybody can get into films today: Bindhu Madhavi

Bindu Madhavi is keen to revitalise her career in Tamil cinema. "I may have started off with a Telugu film (Avakai Biryani), but I've been focussed on doing more projects in Tamil," she says.

The actor, who was in last week's Vikram Prabhu-starrer Pakka, says her earlier Tamil films like Kazhugu and Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga helped her get stronger roles, even if they didn't make her an overnight star. "I think what happens at the beginning of your career ends up defining the rest of your career. I like to do only films where I have something to contribute, but bagging a good project isn't easy," she says.

She realises some of her choices haven't really worked out. "I'm used to rejections and dealing with setbacks, and while I'm content about my journey so far, I realise I could have done better films. Nevertheless, I have no regrets," she tells us.

Bigg Boss Tamil season one has shaken up things in her career a bit. "The offer to be part of the show came my way following a break I took due to personal reasons. I was travelling. People didn't know I was back to acting. Bigg Boss was refreshing on many levels. I took part in it after wrapping up Pakka."

Part of why she took to the show also perhaps had to do with her desire to look out for life-lessons, even on the sets. "I've always been a closed person, and the show helped me open up. I'd say I'm a better person now. It taught me patience and how I should hold no grudges against anyone. I had a great time bonding with Arav, Harish Kalyan, and Vaiyapuri anna. I am in touch with all of them. And hey, I now speak fluent Tamil thanks to the show," she says with a smile.

The challenge for her now is to break into mainstream cinema, and that's not an easy fight  at all, she says. "There were films I did just to keep myself busy. Then, I learned that's not how it worked. Even for Pakka, the cast and I had issues with the director because of double-endendres in the dialogues. We went ahead with the shoot because we had already committed. That's why we didn't partake in the promotions."

Up next, she has Pugazhendhi Enum Naan in the pipeline opposite Arulnithi, besides a web-series. "Pugazhendhi... is a political satire, and I play an IAS candidate. Karu Palaniappan has written an interesting script. There's a lot of puns and sarcasm, but nothing that will hurt anyone's sentiments. It will be a clean entertainer," she assures.

The film industry, she says, has changed for the good during recent years. "The kinds of films made and watched today are significantly different from what it used to be a few years ago. Ten years ago, to bag a big-banner film, a female actor should have worked with either A-listers or have done a certain type of roles. Anybody can get into films today. Even a YouTube single is enough."