‘Not true that glam roles don’t have character’

Mention Kicchu to Ragini Dwivedi, and she has much to say about her character and the film. “To begin with, audiences will get to see a slimmer version of Ragini,” she chuckles, adding, “I have a release after almost eight months.” 

The Pradeep Raj-directorial will be out in theatres this week, and is special for a few reasons for its heroine. Apart from getting to work with Dhruv Sharma and Sudeep (who makes a special appearance), Ragini is leaving behind her usual glamorous roles and is all set to play a coffee estate worker. While she is happy to be playing this kind of character, the actor doesn’t agree with the notion that de-glam characters are stronger ones. “The line between glam and de-glam is overrated. It's all about the character an actor plays. A glamorous role doesn’t necessarily lack character, nor is a performance is better when there is little to no makeup involved. All we need to focus on is how one carries oneself, and how well the role is played,” she says.

Coming back to her role as a coffee estate worker, Ragini says she is happy that Kicchu enabled her to explore a different genre. “The lives of people working on coffee estates, their culture, society and the local politics is something we rarely hear about. There are a lot of elements, which is why I was attracted to this film,” adds Ragini, who was doubly excited when the director thought that she could try her hand at a different kind of role. “When a filmmaker understands your capabilities and sees you as a performer, that is a good sign in itself. Recognition comes when an actor tries different kinds of roles, and that is the case with my current projects - be it PC Shekar’s Terrorist or my upcoming film with Sharan. I am glad to be part of some unique films,” she says.  

The actor found portraying a character from a lesser-known community eye-opening. “While I was shooting for Kicchu, I got to interact with a lot of coffee estate workers, and that helped me understand my character better. There is no doubt that we, being urban women, work very hard. But to put in 12 to 14 hours of work on a daily basis and being the primary bread winners in the family is definitely not an easy job.”

Kicchu will be a tribute to Dhruv 

The late Dhruv Sharma (who was deaf and mute) plays the lead in the film. Ragini remembers the actor as someone with a good soul. “I never thought I would work with such a talented boy. He was so gifted, and Kicchu is a tribute to him. I met him on sets and spent time with him. He may have had his imparities, but it didn’t stop him from being a rockstar on set. He was a strong headed person, nobody ever got bored when interacting with him. I have such fond memories of him. It was shocking for us when he left us so soon. I’ll always remember him as a good soul.”

On Sudeep’s guest appearance, Ragini says, “It was Dhruv’s vision and wish, which was fulfilled by Sudeep. It shows the kind of friendship they shared. My respect for Sudeep has increased five fold for just being part of this film,” she says.

About director, Pradeep Raj, she says that he is very talented and still has a lot to explore. “He has a lot of potential and is very creative. Raw films like Kicchu are best suited for him. I am happy to have worked with him on this project and would love to work him on films of different genres.”

Asked whether she is looking forward to playing only certain kinds of roles, Ragini replies, “All I need is to get associated with good films and the right kind of filmmakers.” 
Ragini signs off with a message to her fans, “I get excited each time I have a release. I want people to come and watch my film and give their honest opinions. I am not the kind to say that this is the best film I have done, but every film I do, I put in hard work.”