Sai Dhanshika: I am excited to work with Madhavan for the first time

Sai Dhanshika, who was last seen in the Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Laabam (2021), is returning to the big screen with The Proof. The upcoming film marks the directorial debut of choreographer I Radhika. The actor reveals that Radhika used to choreograph a number of television shows she appeared in. "We bonded together after she choreographed a song for me in the 2015 film Thiranthidu Seese," she says. And when Radhika approached Dhanshika over a film project, the actor agreed to it immediately. “As actors, there are films you decide to do for your friends and colleagues. For example, I did Laabam with my Peranmai director, SP Jananathan, in 2021, and now there is The Proof.”

The actor further shares that Radhika chose her for the role not just because of their friendship but because the director was impressed with her work ethic. “She took note of how I would often work out soon after pack-up, no matter what time it was. I would also learn my lines by heart the night before. She understands my unwavering commitment to a project, which partly explains why I am part of The Proof,” says Dhanshika.

The actor's work ethic is all the more pronounced in the way she chooses her projects. Even as her filmography is dotted with many ups and downs, Dhansika is known for carefully hunting down diverse roles. “Many approached me after films like Aravaan, Paradesi, Kabali, or Iruttu, but I did not want to keep playing the same characters as I would lose the drive if I became repetitive. And if I wanted to do three or four back-to-back films in a year, I would have agreed to do more heroine-oriented films. But I did not want to do the same thing again and again,” says the actor.

Dhanshika is also making her web series debut with Aintham Vedam for Zee5. The actor once had apprehensions about this format, but the pandemic changed all of that. “When I saw many actors being part of web series with great content and plenty of scope for performance during the pandemic, it piqued my interest as well. As a young actor, I always wanted to see myself on the big screen, but a web series is an interesting diversion that offers you great scope in terms of characterization and performance,” the actor says.

On how the process of shooting for a film differs from a web series, she says, “A series takes longer to complete, depending on the number of episodes in it. Where films take three months on average, a series such as Aintham Vedam took six months to finish shooting and get to post-production. There is that much more content to be shot in a web series.”

The actor, who made her foray into the Malayalam film industry with the 2017 film Solo, comments on the back-to-back hits from the industry. “Malayalam cinema is so real, with such good content. There is a growing generation of filmmakers in Malayalam cinema with similar visions. But every industry has its ups and downs. Right now, perhaps Tamil cinema is going through a dry phase, but it will soon bounce back,” says the actor.

Dhanshika also has a solid lineup of projects in the pipeline, including one from writer-director Mithran Jawahar that stars Madhavan in the lead. “I am quite excited about that project for three reasons. Firstly, this is my first time acting with Madhavan. Secondly, it has been a long time since I have done a film with a prominent leading actor. And thirdly, it is from the maker of such hits as Yaaradi Nee Mohini and Thiruchitrambalam. We finished shooting just around the time when Yaaradi Nee Mohini was re-released in Chennai. There is a lot to look forward to from that film,” says Dhanshika.

She is also part of a film called Yogi Da. “It is a commercial film with plenty of action, and I will appear throughout the film in a short-haired look. After Kabali, people would love to see me in that kind of look again,” signs off Dhanshika.