Ashika Ranganath: My one-point reference for Raymo was Shreya Ghoshal

Ashika talks in detail about her role as a singer in Raymo, which is her first complete love story, working with director Pavan Wadeyar and one-film-old-hero Ishan, and more
Ashika Ranganath: My one-point reference for Raymo was Shreya Ghoshal

Raymo is the ninth film of Ashika Ranganath, and it marks her first collaboration with actor Ishan and director Pavan Wadeyar. “This is a film, which has been in the making for a long time, because of the pandemic. However, the film has been the talk of the town since the time of its launch,” says Ashika, ahead of the film’s release on November 25.

As someone, who doesn’t come from a film background, she always looked forward to working with the best technicians and Pavan Wadeyar was one of the directors on her list. “I enjoyed Pavan Wadeyar’s Googly, and since then I have been waiting to work under his direction.  I got more excited when I got the narration. It is my first attempt at an out-and-out musical romantic drama. Usually, love stories give the heroines an equally prominent role, and Raymo will be one such film.”

Ashika explains how she bagged the role, “According to Pavan, I have an innocent face, and that’s one of the reasons why he picked me for the role. Half your job is done when the director thinks that you match the image he has for the character. Another 50 per cent lies in the performance. I didn’t find it difficult to pull off Mohana’s role. The character is more like me, with subtle variations. I enjoyed playing this role. However there are certain scenes that got me out of my comfort zone, and I believe my audience will see a new me in this film,” she says.

Did Ashika completely follow the director’s vision or take reference from her surroundings to play Mohana, the singer? “I have two variations in my character. As a singer, my one point reference was Shreya Ghoshal who gave me tips to understand the personality of a singer and the mannerisms.  Apart from being a singer,  she deals with her father, society, and the challenges that come along with it,” she says.

To be part of a character, which you are not is always exciting, and it was even more exciting to play a singer, says Ashika, adding, “Everybody has a singer in them. Music is therapy for most of us. But it needs a lot of talent to be a singer.”

Talking about her working experience with director Pavan, Ashika says that he is a very active and chirpy person. “He doesn’t waste time. I am someone who wants to be around such people and be active as much as I can. That’s something I picked up from him. His dialogues are realistic and relatable. He is a really good technician,” she says.

Sharing her opinions on her co-artist, Ishan, Ashika says, “Till Raymo, I have mostly worked with experienced heroes. They would take the initiative to make me comfortable. However, with Ishan, it was the reverse. Initially, we did take time to communicate, but Pavan insisted on us building a rapport, especially since the film was a love story. Over time, we developed a good friendship, and it did work in favour of the film. In a way, it also helped us pull off a few intimate scenes without any hesitation,” she says.  

Ashika says the best thing about Raymo is the script itself. “Though it is a love story, there is sentiment and the right kind of commercial elements too. The film discusses the hasty decisions made by the younger generation. It also talks about the talent of the youth and their struggle for success. It is a good entertainer with a solid takeaway,” she says.

With just nine films in a six-year career, Ashika, who is now getting offers from the Tamil and Telugu industries, calls it a planned move. “I was okay to be working in films that came my way. But the success of Rambo 2 and the reception I got for Chuttu Chuttu song changed my whole perspective. It made me feel responsible and pushed me to be part of good films. That’s when I prioritised working with directors who bring the best out of me. That’s the reason I am picky with my scripts. I took some time to work in other languages. However, languages don’t matter to me. But initially, I did feel like an alien in Tamil and Telugu, but I’m thankfully getting good support. But there is nothing like working in the language which makes you feel at home,” she signs off.  

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