Karthika Muralidharan: I want to be an actor, not a heroine

Karthika Muralidharan is just one film old, but her perspective on her craft couldn't be clearer. She is quite serious about acting, so it doesn't sound strange when she says she "wants to be identified as an actor and not as a heroine." Naturally, she didn't think twice before taking up the role of Sruthi in Girish Damodar's Uncle, which will have her sharing screen space with Mammootty.

She calls the film a genuine effort. "There is quite a lot to learn from Joy Mathew's script. Uncle tells what can happen to a woman in our society," she adds.

The film tells the story of a teenage girl and the camaraderie she shares with her father's friend, played by Mammootty. Karthika says she could relate a lot with Sruthi. "She is a well-fleshed out character. She is in a constant state of alertness and doubt. This is evident from the way she always clings on to her satchel. Sruthi experiences a lot of harrowing things in her life. It was not hard for me to get under her skin," she says.

But, Karthika says she had to struggle in her combination scenes with Mammootty. "I became very friendly with Mammookka and in scenes where I had to antagonise him, it was quite difficult."

Uncle also helped her sharpen her skills as an actor. "In many scenes, I had to portray conflicting emotions like trust and panic simultaneously. That can be challenging," she adds.

For Karthika, the days spent shooting for Uncle were intellectually stimulating, too. "I had to shoot for long hours with Mammookka. He would talk to me about many things like social issues and politics. He even introduced me to good music. It was the same with Joy uncle too. We would have meaningful discussions about cinema and religion. My stint with Uncle has enriched me in every way," she says.

The actor, who flew down to Kochi to dub for her role, says she is balancing her career and studies. "That's one reason why I am not picking up everything that comes my way. And, I don't mind taking it slow. All I want to do is good meaningful cinema," she adds.