Malvika Sharma made her Malayalam debut this Onam as Fiza, the wife of Prithviraj Sukumaran's Aamir Ali in Vysakh's Khalifa. Stepping into an unfamiliar industry, she says the experience has left her keen to explore more Malayalam cinema. Reflecting on the warm reception she received during the film's theatre visits, she says, “Honestly, I didn't expect to receive so much love in Kerala.”
She came across the film unexpectedly while in Agra last year. Malvika was asked to send a picture of herself wearing a dupatta as Malabar women wear it, followed by a narration from Vysakh. "I've never done a character like Fiza in any of my films. Getting to make my debut with Prithviraj sir, and knowing Mohanlal sir was also in the film, also made it such a huge debut for me," she stresses. Beyond the opportunity to work with a new set of actors and technicians, Malvika fondly recalls the discipline she encountered on Malayalam film sets. “Everything happens on time and is scheduled properly. The way they plan things is the way they execute them, and that was a very nice experience,” she reflects.
For Malvika, her Malayalam debut came with the obvious challenge of performing in a language that was unfamiliar to her, and it was Prithviraj, who proved particularly helpful. “He is genuinely down-to-earth and humble, extremely cooperative and always willing to help other actors,” she observes. If she struggled to understand a scene, its backstory or even the Malayalam dialogue, he would take the time to explain it himself, she recounts. “Prithviraj sir made sure everybody was performing well, not just himself.” Vysakh, meanwhile, helped her understand the performance style he wanted from her. “In Telugu films, the acting has a little more masala. But here, everything is very subtle, expressed through the eyes,” she recalls him telling her.
Her familiarity with Malayalam cinema was limited to a handful of films before Khalifa, including Drishyam, Aadujeevitham and Kumbalangi Nights. The experience has since left Malvika eager to explore more of the industry, with Dulquer Salmaan, Tovino Thomas and Nivin Pauly among those she hopes to work with.
Telugu remains the industry she has worked in most, with three films to her name, including her 2018 screen debut Nela Ticket. Before Khalifa, she had also made her Tamil debut in 2022 with Sundar C's romantic comedy Koffee with Kadhal, opposite Jiiva. She remembers the set as markedly relaxed, with the large ensemble often spending time together between takes, an atmosphere she credits to Sundar C and Khushbu. "It was basically work, chill, work, chill. It was such a relaxed environment. The feeling was very much, 'Come and be yourself. Feel free'," she remembers.
Her first Tamil outing, too, came with its share of linguistic challenges, but Malvika found support in both Jiiva and Sundar C. “Jiiva sir actually taught me how to mime. It would sometimes take me a little time to learn my lines, especially when a script was given to me immediately before a take,” she recounts. She also remembers Sundar C patiently helping her with her dialogues. “If there were lengthy dialogues, he would tell me how to say them and how to pronounce the Tamil words,” she says.
Although she is currently in discussions for Hindi and Telugu films, nothing has been confirmed in Tamil yet. Her aspirations for the industry, however, remain clear. “I definitely want to work with Dhanush sir. I honestly admire his work,” she says. Suriya is another name on her wish list, while Mani Ratnam is a filmmaker she particularly hopes to collaborate with. “I don't know if that will ever happen, but working with Mani Ratnam sir is my dream,” she acknowledges.
For Malvika, acting has always existed alongside an equally serious pursuit of law, one her parents initially took some convincing on. "My father didn't initially know I had started doing commercials. He was also quite against me studying law, because of the perception that it can make it difficult for a girl to get married. They were against me entering the entertainment industry too, but eventually they got used to it," she recounts.
Having completed her LLB and LLM in Criminal Law this year, she says the profession has shaped her personality as much as acting has. "I actually got into acting because I wanted to pay my fees for my entrance and my LLB," she explains. She does not rule out returning to legal practice, but believes the two cannot be pursued simultaneously. "In my head, at least, I think maybe I will practise after I turn 40," she says, adding that the time studying law has made her calmer and more confident.
After eight years in cinema, she measures success by character rather than scale. "I've never been someone who thinks, 'I want to become a heroine.' I just want to be a really good actress, getting strong characters and continuing to grow as an actor," Malvika reflects.
Her upcoming film Brindavihari, which marks her debut in Kannada, is another step into a new language, opposite Ganesh. "I play a Krishna devotee named Meera, and there are different shades to this character. It's been a very challenging, performance-oriented role for me," she says.