Ruhani Sharma: I am not comfortable doing bold roles

Ruhani Sharma, who made an impressive debut with Chi La Sow (2018), is warming up for the release of her Friday release Nootokka Jillala Andagadu. Directed by Rachakonda Vidyasagar, the film deals with an identical theme of premature balding, which is being narrated through the perspective of a self-conscious man. "Nootokka Jillala Andagadu tells the story of a young man, who suffers from premature balding and struggles to measure up to the beauty standards. His insecurity compels him to do a lot of crazy things and at last, he realises that it is not how you look, but the inner beauty of a man that matters the most," begins Ruhani, adding, "The story of Nootokka Jillala Andagadu resonates with a lot of people in our society."

The trailer leaves an impression that the film has little scope for Ruhani's character. "Frankly, I have done a couple of films where I didn't have enough screen time. But here, my character is the soul and an integral part of the narrative. My formula for choosing a character is simple and that is what excites me to do something different. It does not matter to me how many dialogues I have in the film or the screen time. It is all about story and characters for me," explains Ruhani.

The theme of Nootokka Jillala Andagadu bears similarities to Hindi films like Bala and Ujda Chaman. However, Ruhani says that her film is neither a remake nor an inspiration to none. "There are no similarities between these films and there is no link between them whatsoever. People who have watched Nootokka Jillala Andagadu have told me that it's a unique story narrated in an intriguing way," avers the actor.

Having entered the industry in 2018, the Himachal Pradesh girl has worked in only four films in Tollywood. Talking about her limited work, Ruhani says, "I have been straddling across languages. I have recently completed shooting for a Hindi web series and untitled Telugu film. Things would have been different had there been no Covid-19. This pandemic has slowed down the proceedings a lot. The coming days are going to be more exciting."

The actor stated that she has been offered a few bold roles, but she turned them down. "I am not comfortable donning bold characters and I am quite open about it. I have kept pushing myself and want to explore myself as an actor. I believe it's the only way to justify a character. I am looking forward to exciting scripts that challenge me as an actor. Personally, I want to see myself in a love story and a psychological thriller," shares Ruhani.

2021 is a busy year for Ruhani as she shot back-to-back films across languages. "I am working in Nani's upcoming production Meet Cute and an untitled anthology in Telugu. I also completed shooting for a dark film in Malayalam and a film each in Tamil and Hindi. There are different looks in each film and I enjoyed working in them," signs off Ruhani.