Sonal Monteiro: I am still waiting to get that recognition

Sonal Monteiro is someone who is currently enjoying her stint in cinema, portraying various characters. Sharing her excitement about collaborating with director Yogaraj Bhat for Garadi, the model-turned-actor, says, “Yogaraj Bhat was the one who launched me in Panchtantra, and I’m glad to be working with him again.” She is paired alongside Yashas Soorya and is also excited to be sharing the screen with seasoned actors like BC Patil and Ravi Shankar.

Ahead of the film’s release, on November 10, the actor talks about her role and how she is evolving with each film. “I love exploring new characters, and that’s what makes us grow. For example, my character in Garadi was quite a task. The character I play is obsessed with TikTok, whereas I personally am not into making such videos or even having a YouTube channel. Furthermore, acting like a village girl or a city girl is one thing, but a village girl acting like one from the city was intriguing. It’s not just about the attire but also the body language. I have a lot of variations in my role in Garadi, which also includes an intense turn in the second half,” says Sonal as she provides a brief overview of her character named Kabali, with the nickname Puppy Sukanya.

Sonal feels that it’s crucial for a director to have confidence in their actors, and Yogaraj Bhat had immense confidence in her ability to portray the role in his film. “For Garadi, they had finalised a couple of heroines before me, and I was considered at the last minute. But Bhatru recently mentioned that he had me in mind all along and believed I could pull off the role. Hearing this from him was truly overwhelming. I initially doubted if I could do justice to it and expressed my concerns to the director. However, he had faith in me, and I hope I’ve done justice to the role,” she adds.

Sonal acknowledges that she is still in the learning phase of her career. “Every time I take on a new film, I still have that fear of whether I can do it well. Each film teaches me something new, and there’s always more to learn. I’m eager to keep learning,” says Sonal, who is relishing the consistent work coming her way.

However, Sonal candidly admits that she is still to get that recognition. “Roberrt marked a significant step in my career. However, I believe that understanding what the audience expects from me is an ongoing process, and I am eager to learn from their feedback. I am waiting for that one answer to define my career,” she signs off.