Playing Nafisa in Saara Varja gave me sleepless nights: Anu Prabhakar Mukherjee

Actor Anu Prabhakar Mukherjee, who was recently seen in a pivotal role in late Puneeth Rajkumar’s James, is all set to make a comeback as a lead in Saara Vajra.

Directed by Aarna Sadya, the film is based on a novel written by Sara Aboobacker. Speaking about getting back to cinema after a hiatus, Anu says, “I had taken a long break from films to focus on my family. Though I did a few pivotal roles after the break, Saara Vajra is my first as a lead.”

The actor reveals that she was a bit worried about how a young director like Aarna would translate such a novel to screen. “The script written by her gave me faith to take up the project. She has done a good job in adapting the book to screen and that struck a chord with me,” she adds.

Saara Vajra, which is based on the Byari community in Kasargod, traces the life of Nafia (Anu) from the age of 16 to 60 years. Anu says that the subject, which explores the ordeals faced by Saara and her quest in finding meaning in her life, spoke volumes to her.  “Directors like Girish Kasaravalli and Nagabharana have proved their expertise in adapting a novel into a film. Considering her age and experience, I was very impressed with what Aarna did for Saara Varja,” says Anu.

Anu reveals that the role gave her sleepless nights since she was worried about pulling it off successfully. “Thankfully, I had a lot of support from my husband (Actor Raghu Mukherjee). Moreover, it is the director’s clarity and vision that helps an actor play a role, and I had that in abundance.”

Though the shooting of Saara Vajra was wrapped up in 2020, the release of the film had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It has been a long journey, and finally... the film will be out this week,” adds Anu.

Backed by Devendra Reddy’s Sambrama Dream House, Saara Vajra also stars Sudha Belawadi, Rehman Hassan, and Ramesh Bhat. The film is set for release on May 20.