Actor Malavika Mohanan recently talked about working in Petta, starring Rajinikanth and directed by Karthik Subbaraj. Speaking to Galatta Plus, Malavika said that Karthik called her for a role in the Rajinikanth starrer after he watched her film Beyond the Clouds. Calling it "a nice character," although not "the lead" role, Malavika accepted the offer because working with Rajinikanth in a film was part of her "bucket list" and because she found some scenes in it "really interesting". Malavika played Kaali/Pettavelan's (Rajinikanth) rival Singaaram's (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) sister in the film. Interestingly, after Petta, her debut in Tamil cinema, the actor received many offers from the industry for 'sister parts' and not lead roles. "That was when I realised that you would stereotyped into a box because you did not do a lead role," Malavika Mohanan said.

The actor also recalled an incident where she turned down an offer from a producer to star in a project with a "big hero" because she did not connect with the part. Malavika said that the producer told her that it would be "the best you will get" because of her "small role" in Petta. "I was like, 'So be it; I am not going to do something like this for this reason," Malavika revealed. The actor also disclosed that she got an offer to act in director Lokesh Kanagaraj's Master, opposite Vijay, a few months afterwards. Malavika said that it was "as big as it can get in Tamil" when it comes to acting opposite a major male hero.

Malavika also revealed that she decided to follow her instincts and choose roles accordingly after that incident. Interestingly, soon after Master, the actor did a role in a slightly experimental film, titled Christy, where a youngster (Mathew Thomas) falls in love with her older character.