Aditi Prabhudheva: Ranganayaki is a gift to all women

If a rape victim like Nirbhaya was alive today, how her life could have shaped up is the subject director Dayal Padmanabhan takes on in his upcoming film Ranganayaki. The story is inspired by a novel written by the director himself, which, in turn, is inspired by Nirbhaya's case. Aditi Prabhudeva plays the titular role in the film, which will be released this week.

The actor says she initially felt a certain kind of fear about how the film, which touches upon such a sensitive issue, will turn out. “I overcame that only when Ranganayaki was selected for the Indian Panorama at IFFI and became the only Kannada film selected among the 83 other films on the list. This also proved to me it is the subject that rules,” she says.

Aditi is glad that Ranganayaki enabled her to take a break from doing glamorous characters. “As actors, we always talk about certain dream roles. But when such characters are offered, we sometimes hesitate, thinking perhaps that glamorous roles are a safer bet. I wanted to break away from these and was waiting for a character that would help me showcase my performance. Now, recognition from the Indian Panorama is a feather in my cap,” she adds.

Ranganayaki is a classic title picked from the 1980s, and the film’s tagline - Vol 1 Virginity - has been getting a lot of attention. “With Ranganayaki as the title, Dayal plans to make a series of films on sensitive issues. The concept of virginity is beautifully explained in Vol 1, which all independent and working women will relate to,” says Aditi, adding, “For women, sex is not just about sharing a physical relationship, but it should also be soulful. There is always a difference when it is forced, instead of something that is accepted out of love. That’s what Dayal has portrayed through Ranganayaki.”

Aditi explains that a rape victim cannot say she has lost her virginity, and that is the film’s concept. “A rape victim feels that the only solution is suicide, as there is no other way. But why should she die for no fault of hers?” she asks, stressing that the concept has been shown in a dignified manner in the film. “A woman expects the men in her life, whether it is her father, brother, husband, or boyfriend, to stand by her, and this will be the highlight of Ranganayaki.”

The actor reveals that she was earlier hesitant to even utter the word ‘rape’ or watch films on such topics. However, this turned out to indirectly be an advantage for the character. “This role got me so involved that I did not use the phone or social media until I completed 90 per cent of the shoot. During the shooting process, the character taught me a lot of lessons and stabilised me. Ranganayaki is a gift to all women,” she adds.

Along with Aditi, the film also features actor-director MG Srinivas, Trivikram, and Chakravarthy Chandrachud in pivotal roles.

Ranganayaki, made under the banner of SV Entertainment, has music by Manikanth Kadri and cinematography by Rakesh B.