For Mumbai-based actor Saachi Bindra, working in different languages has always been something she wanted to explore. After appearing in web series, she made her Hindi feature film debut with the campus romance Mannu Kya Karega. Now, she is making her Kannada debut with director Simple Suni’s sci-fi thriller Lambodhara 2.0.
Moving away from romance, Saachi plays a digital detox therapist in the film, which looks at our growing dependence on technology. She shares screen space with writer and lead actor Anil Shetty, Kunal Kapoor—who is also making his Kannada debut—and Jia, a humanoid robot.
In this conversation, Saachi Bindra talks about learning Kannada, working with a humanoid robot, and what the film says about our obsession with screens.
From a Hindi campus romance to a Kannada sci-fi thriller, what drew you to Simple Suni’s film?
To be honest, working in the South was always on my bucket list. The kind of original content coming out of regional cinema is very interesting. For the past couple of years, I’ve been watching films across languages, including Punjabi cinema and films from the South, because I am genuinely intrigued by languages and wanted to see what kind of cinema India is making beyond Bollywood. I had already watched Suni sir’s Chamak. When Lambodhara 2.0 came along, having an actual humanoid robot in the film felt like a completely distinct concept from Indian cinema. Getting to make my debut in the South with a director who has done such great work was a very big opportunity for me.
You play a digital detox therapist in the film. How does your character fit into the story?
People wouldn't normally expect me to do a film like this as my second project, right after a quintessential college romance like Mannu Kya Karega. But that contrast is what made it special. I play a digital detox therapist, and honestly, in this day and age, that is something all of us need because we are constantly glued to our phones. Playing this character influenced me personally, and I started telling myself that I should put my phone away for at least an hour a day and just not touch it.
Sci-fi films can sometimes demand very technical performances. How did you prepare for the role, especially with the language barrier?
I am not a method actor, but I have this process where I physically write down all my scripts and dialogues in my own handwriting for every role. Since Kannada was completely new to me, I spent nearly three months purely doing language prep. If you write Kannada lines in English, you don’t understand the nuances and correct pronunciations. So, I wrote the entire script in Devanagari first, and then in English to catch the tone. Suni sir conducted multiple readings and workshops with me, which helped immensely. Once you understand the director's vision and get comfortable with the words, performing becomes so much easier.
What was it like sharing screen space with a humanoid robot like Jia instead of acting in front of a green screen?
Having a humanoid robot right there on set is such a unique concept for Indian cinema. Acting is about giving and taking, and when you have a physical presence like Jia in front of you, you aren't just imagining things in empty space. That distinct dynamic brings a completely fresh feel to the scenes.
The film brings together actors from different backgrounds, including Anil Shetty and Kunal Kapoor. How was that experience?
When you put so many talented people together, everyone just lifts each other up. You feed off each other’s energy in every scene. Whether it was Kunal or Anil, you observe what they are doing and you end up learning from them. Having that kind of support from your co-actors makes a big difference. And Suni sir was such a relief to work with. He is known for romance, and this is completely out of the box for him, but he was remarkably calm, patient, and always there to guide me whenever I felt nervous about the new language.
Lambodhara 2.0 raises a question about whether technology can make us happy. What is your view on that?
I don’t think technology can manufacture happiness. It has to come from within. The people around you, your family, and your friends influence that, but fundamentally you have to find that peace inside yourself. Today, we are so engrossed in technology and our phones that people think, ‘I’ve put up a video on social media, and I’m getting so many likes, so now I’m happy’. But real happiness is way beyond that, and our film shows how disconnected we become when we rely only on digital validation.
What lies ahead for you?
I am in talks for a couple of things in Bollywood. At the same time, I genuinely hope I get more work down South. Since the trailer dropped, a few calls and conversations have started, though filmmakers naturally want to watch the film and see my work on screen first. Nothing is signed yet, but I really hope this film opens doors for me to do a lot more work in the South as well.