Ganavi Laxman: I was starstruck seeing Shivanna

The Pushpa Pushpa song from Shivarajkumar’s 125th film Vedha was released a couple of days ago and it has put the film’s heroine Ganavi Laxman under the spotlight. The actor, who became a household name with teleserial Magalu Janaki made her feature film debut with Rishab Shetty’s Hero. Ganavi expresses happiness to share screen space alongside the Century Star in a film directed by A Harsha. Ganavi, With the film gearing up for the release slated on December 16, she shares how the offer changed her life. “I got this film, when I was emotionally low in my life, when I had thought to step back from acting. So, I consider Vedha to be my rebirth as an artist,” says Ganavi, who goes on to thank the filmmakers who offered her roles during this phase, “Many directors approached me, and I am thankful for them. But, unfortunately, I didn’t find any stories that excited me. I believe a good story will kindle the curiosity in an actor to wish for a role in it. I felt it while I listened to the narration of Vedha.”

Talking about director Harsha, Ganavi says, “The moment I was a part of Vedha, the first thing I did was to watch all the previous films of the director, and I liked the way he portrayed his heroines. After working with Harsha I can now see the signature style  he adds to his films.”

She also shares her working experience with Shivanna. “Had I gone with a mindset that I was working with Shivarajkumar, the Century Star, in his 125th film, I would not have probably handled the character the way it was supposed to. I went with a blank mind and took baby steps while playing the role, which eventually helped me perform better.”  Ganavi states that Shivarajkumar encouraged the people on the sets even when he was going through a hard time post the demise of his brother Puneeth Rajkumar. “He was very encouraging and I cherish every moment of his presence on the sets. being an introvert, initially, I only managed to speak a few words to him. I was star-struck on seeing Shivanna, and I would often hide from him, and took time my time to connect. It was overwhelming to share screen space with a fine actor. Geetha, Shivanna’s wife, who is producing the film also made sure we were comfortable with everything. I was glad to be working with a respectable team.”

Despite Shivarajkumar being the face of Vedha, it is also told from a woman’s perspective. Ganavi equates Vedha to energy. “Being a man is just not just about being powerful, it is about being a person with good qualities. Every man and woman should be like Vedha.”

The actor has taken a short break from shooting and eagerly awaits the audience’s reaction to the film and her role. “Working in films has become easy, but promotions put me under pressure. My next project will be planned post-Vedha release,” she says. Vedha, produced by Geetha Pictures in collaboration with Zee Studios, is a rural period drama, and will be out in Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil. It also features Shwetha Chengappa and Aditi Sagar in important roles.  With music by Arjun Janya, the film has cinematography by Swamy J.