Actor Joohi Jayakumar has been quietly establishing herself in South Indian cinema. After appearances in Malayalam and Tamil films, she is now preparing for her first leading role in Kannada with God Promiise. The film is produced by Mahindraa Shetty under Paanchajanya Film Productions and directed by Suchan Shetty.

Joohi earlier appeared in the Malayalam film, Pavi Caretaker, alongside Dileep. She also drew attention for her significant role in the Tamil film Thalaivan Thalaivii, starring Vijay Sethupathi and Nithya Menen. The actor has also worked on projects such as Sumathi Valavu. With God Promiise, she now steps into Kannada cinema as the female lead.

In the film, Joohi plays Apsara and shares the screen with Suchan Shetty. The project also features a well-known ensemble including Pramod Shetty, Aravind Bolar, Naveen D Padil, Raghu Pandeshwar, Roopa Vorkady, Prathima Nayak, Prashant Siddi, and Nagaraj Byndoor.

With 45 days of shooting completed, the film is expected to be wrapped up by mid-April. While cinematography is by Guruprasad Narnad, editing is by Naveen Shetty, and music is by Bharath Madhusudanan.

For Joohi, like many actors of her generation, working across languages is part of the journey. She landed her role in God Promiise through an audition. “I first heard about this film from a friend and submitted my audition online. Later, I came to Bengaluru for the look test. After the shortlist and screen test, the team chose me for the role,” she says.

With each of her projects helping her understand different working styles, Joohi shares that God Promiise had a particularly compelling script. “It is a rural story centred on two families, and I really liked the script for the emotional depth it explores,” she explains.

However, stepping into Kannada cinema required more than just performance as the language and dialect demanded careful attention. “At first, it was challenging because the dialogues were in Kannada, and I was also sent audio clips in Kannada. After my screen test, I began studying the language and working on the Mangaluru dialect,” she says. The actor also attended a workshop to better understand the linguistic and cultural nuances required for the role.

Interestingly, Joohi’s interest in Kannada cinema started off as an audience member. “I am a huge fan of KGF and Kantara. After watching those films, I wanted to work in Kannada cinema,” she says.

While preparing for her debut, Joohi revisited Kantara. “I had first seen the film in Malayalam, but when I learnt I would be working in a Kannada film, I watched Kantara again in Kannada to get a feel for the language,” she adds.

She shares that working with Suchan Shetty, who has previously collaborated with Ravi Basrur on films like Girmit, Kataka, and Kadal, has also been a learning experience. “I enjoy collaborating with artists from different industries because you learn not just the craft but also the culture and language. Each industry has its own rhythm,” she says.

With God Promiise, Joohi Jayakumar hopes to begin a new chapter in her career. “Every film teaches you something new. I hope God Promiise marks the beginning of a longer journey for me in Kannada cinema,” she concludes.