Rachita Ram now officially Mandya ‘hudugi’

Mahesh Kumar's directorial, Ayogya, starring Sathish Ninasam and Rachita Ram, has been extensively shot in Mandya. Rachita, who plays the female lead in the film, tells us that she now feels she shares a bond with the localities. So much so that she has put forth an unusual request to her team. Since they shot at Sujata theatre in Mandya, Rachita has requested the producer to release the film at that particular theatre, where she will watch the film along with the localities. 

"The shoot was such a learning experience, from the first day of the shoot to the last. We would see thousands of people watching us, and all of them came up to talk to us. They wanted to take selfies and obliging them made them so happy. I found the people of Mandya to be as sweet as sugarcane (a popular cultivation of that region)," says Rachita, who was also overwhelmed with their hospitality. 

Having worked with local favourites such as Darshan, Sudeep, and Puneeth Rajkumar, Rachita says that the localities were excited to meet her and bond with her. "In addition, speaking the language with a typical Mandya accent made them even happier. After five years of being in the industry, I feel blessed to receive this kind of adulation," she adds. 

Since both director and lead actor are from Mandya, and speak the language with ease, she says that the two helped her improve her own dialect. "It was all about Enkanla, Howdukanla. It was also easy for them to handle the people of Mandya," says Rachita, adding, "We've kept it simple and traditional in an attempt to portray an orthodox village girl. I need to bring out the local flavour by playing the role of an innocent girl."

In Ayogya, Rachita is paired opposite Sathish, and she points out that it's not just about playing the love interest to the hero. "Instead, how I stand by him through his struggles, and keep motivating him at every step, is something young women can relate to," she says, adding, "The best part of Ayogya was that I didn't have to look slim and trim. Instead, I portrayed a very real woman, who sports a cotton kurta, wears flowers, a large bindi and kajal like a Mandya hudugi," she says.