Vedhika: I have always loved to work in my mother tongue, Kannada

Upendra-starrer Home Minister has been awaiting the release for quite some time now. Vedhika, who plays the female lead in the Sujay K Srihari’s directorial, shares that the film was shot before the pandemic but the timing wasn’t just right for a release. “Pandemic created havoc in the entertainment industry, and makers were in a dilemma when it came to releasing the films. I did have a few movies coming on OTT. However, in the case of the Home Minister, the makers believed in the project and they felt the Upendra-starrer would pull in the crowd. Now, we are releasing the film during the festive season of Ugadi,” says Vedhika ahead of the release on April 1.

Throwing light on her character, Vedhika shares that she plays a journalist for the first time in Home Minister. “I have always loved to come back to Kannada and work in my mother tongue. After working in Shivarajkumar’s Shivalinga, I was looking for the right script to return to Kannada, and Home Minister fit the bill. The film has me playing a dynamic person, representing today’s woman, and it enabled me to explore my acting abilities,” says Vedhika, adding, “To play this role, I had to mouth many dialogues. I was given 2-3 page dialogues every day. Since it was my mother tongue, I was able to manage it. This role has me playing various shades, which will be interesting for the audience to watch.”

What is the intended message that is brought out with the Home Minister where Upendra is seen playing a homemaker, and she is a working woman? “There is nothing to be ashamed of ‘him’ doing housework. That’s what mostly happened during the Covid and lockdown period, and people would understand this film better. We don’t have to be preachy about gender roles if people enjoy whatever they are doing,” she explains.

This is the first time Vedhika is sharing screen space with Upendra, and she says, “I knew about Upendra through his works. But when I got to work with him in Home Minister, I realised he is extremely humble and has a child-like innocence in him. He is very genuine and brings out the best in everybody around him. I must say that Upendra has played the titular role with a lot of positivity,” she signs off.