You will see me defying traditional expectations of a heroine: Malvika Sharma

The actor, who makes her debut with this Friday's release, Nela Ticket, talks about her experience working on the Ravi Teja-starrer
You will see me defying traditional expectations of a heroine: Malvika Sharma

Malvika Sharma set her sights on acting at a very young age and was part of several commercials. She is looking forward to the release of her debut film Nela Ticket, starring Ravi Teja, this Friday. She tells us her role in the film is very close to her real-life character. “I play Malvika, a medical student, who is tomboyish by nature, and is a character quite close to me as a person. When director Kalyan Krishna narrated the story, he asked me to be my real self. Working on Nela Ticket was a blast and the challenge was to do something so diametrically different from what I've done in the past.”

The Mumbai girl reveals that she did not wear any make-up for about half the film. “Kalyan Krishna asked me to go make-up free for some scenes to stay true to the character. So, you will see me defying traditional expectations of a heroine.”

About her preparation for the role, she says, “My director used to give me the scene paper a day before the shoot. The lines would be in English, but to get the act right, I used to take the help of the assistant directors to understand the dialogues and their meaning.”

Not many people know that Malvika met with an accident during the production. “I had to drive a scooter and an auto rickshaw in the film. So, I went back to Mumbai and learnt to ride a scooter. But, I fell off from the vehicle and got injured. I was frustrated that it happened to me in my first film, and anxious that I should not force the makers to delay the shoot. I was also worried that I would not be able to perform or dance because of the injury. Luckily, it took me only 10 days to recover and get back to work.”

She terms the experience of shooting for Nela Ticket a 'great learning experience'. “Like any other non-Telugu girl, learning the language is challenging. Also performing emotional scenes and adapting myself to dance movements was difficult. But, shooting for the film instilled a lot of confidence in me, and now I want to dub for myself in my second film.”

Malvika took a break from her film promotions to take her first-year exams in Mumbai (She is an LLB student). “I never carried any books to the sets. I do all the studying for my exams only in Mumbai when I’m not shooting. In a way, Hyderabad is for work and Mumbai is for education (smiles). At the same time, I’m a chilled-out person and like to party with my friends.”

She has received a lot of appreciation for her looks and screen presence in the Ravi Teja-starrer. “A lot has changed around me. It’s thrilling to see my poster on the hoardings. Whenever I visit Hyderabad, I get a feeling that people have accepted me and given me a career in Southern film industry. I respect the city and its people for making my dream come true.”

Recalling an incident during her initial days, she adds, “When I started my career, people told me I was not heroine material. They used to tell me, 'You are neither Katrina (Kaif) nor Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan).' And now, it feels great to hear people praising me for my looks and calling me a perfect fit for Malvika’s role. I’m hoping to get more attention after the film’s release.”

On working with Ravi Teja, she says, “He is such a humble person with no starry tantrums. He is an experienced actor, but didn’t show off and has been supportive.”

Malavika admits that she has her conditions when it comes to choosing a role. “I intend to keep away from a few aspects which I’m not comfortable with. I will not do kissing scenes and I don’t think I have the body to sport a bikini.”

She has decided to take things one step at a time. “I will be glad if I get an opportunity to work in all the languages. For now, I had been signed for a film to be directed by Praveen Sattaru. I play the female lead opposite Ram, and I’m waiting for the film to start rolling,” she signs off.

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