Vedhika: I want my work to do the talking

Anyone looking at Vedhika's filmography would naturally be surprised, considering the dynamic shifts she has made from one film industry to another. Take, for instance, the year 2014, when she delivered one of her career-best performances with Kaaviya Thalaivan. While the audience expected her to do more work in the language, she went on to do a masala horror film Shivalinga in Kannada. Vedhika confesses that she has never had a plan or pattern. "I don't break my head before signing a film. If I like my character and the team, I go ahead. I have followed the path my heart has led me so far." She goes on to share that it is Paradesi and Kaaviya Thalaivan from Tamil that gained her the attention of creators from neighbouring industries and fuelled her projects in Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu.

Vedhika credits her strong lingual skills for her seamless shift between industries. "I need just a day to master dialogues in any South Indian language. Since I am juggling films across the country, I just have to remind myself of the film I am shooting for and I am ready to face the camera."

The actor, who was in town recently, to shoot alongside Prabhudheva, for their film Pettarap, directed by SJ Sinu, goes on to reveal that she has plans to dub for her films starting this year. "Even though I haven't dubbed for most of my films, I make sure that I know the meaning of every word. I would never skip this part as I want my expressions and dialogues to be in perfect sync. If I ever end up rephrasing any dialogues during a take, I will ensure that the same change is reflected in the dubbing process too. Since I have got a hang of most languages I have decided to use my own voice going ahead."

Vedhika has always established herself as a good dancer on-screen. After being part of hit numbers alongside the best dancers of the country like Raghava Lawrence (Muni, Kanchana 3), Shivarajkumar (Shivalinga), and Silambarasan (Kaalai), she has done a lot of dancing with the finest dancers of the country Prabhudheva for Pettarap. But she prefers to be known as a fine actor rather than a dancer. "Even though being known as a competent dancer makes me feel good, the challenging roles and the recognition they bring along are the two things that have been soul-satisfying in the long journey," says Vedhika.
 
Though she is happy to have played characters that are close to her heart, she wants the audience to take certain portrayals with a pinch of salt, especially in her masala entertainers. "Cinema is a powerful medium and it can influence people. So I am trying to be careful with my choice of roles and films. However, there have been occasions where I played characters who don't exactly reflect my real-life persona or views. I really hope they are seen only through the lens of entertainment."

Vedhika will be completing her second decade in cinema in two years and she has her hands full with projects featuring her as the lead like Razakar, Mahal, Jungle, and Fear. Being successful in a highly dynamic and competitive field like cinema is no easy feat. She attributes her success to the 'non-commercial' films that nurtured the performer in her. "I couldn't have survived this long had I done only mass masala films. I believe the audience liked how I interlaced the simpler, genre-driven films that gave me scope to perform. Apart from that God and people from the industry have been so kind to me. I couldn't have done this all on my own."

Though Vedhika hasn't stuck to any plans so far, she has a vision of where to head in her career. "I believe everything needs to evolve to become better. I would hate to repeat myself with the same type of films. I have found my own process of getting into a character, thanks to my years of experience, and I am loving it. At this point, I want to pick roles that intrigue people and also hone my skills as an actor."

Vedhika firmly believes that a good performance is the best networking an actor can do. "I am positive that characters that connect with the audience speak for the actor and connect them to the right creators. My work has brought me work so far. Though I have got a few good offers through acquaintances, nothing can match the mileage a good role can offer to an actor. I want my work to do the talking," she shares with confidence.