All it took was Oru Nodi for Malvi Malhotra to say yes to Jenma Natchathiram. Quite literally. She saw the 2023 Taman Aakshan-starrer and was impressed, and it was on the same day she signed Jenma Natchathiram, headlined by him. Having dabbled in Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Punjabi projects, the horror-thriller marks Malvi's Tamil debut. "I couldn't have asked for a better role as I am there throughout the film's runtime. The story unfolds through my eyes. I play Riya, a sweet and simple girl who has ghosts scaring her in her dreams. Whether her dreams become a haunting reality or not forms the crux of the film," she narrates in broken Tamil. "I am trying to grasp the language by learning from online classes," she chuckles, eager to step into the industry.
Elaborating on the film and its script, Malvi underlines, "You can never guess the film's climax. That's how intricate and layered the script is. It is gripping and every character has an important role in it. I have not worked on this genre before." Even before coming down South, Malvi has been a big fan of the Tamil cinema industry, especially the films of Mani Ratnam. "Filmmakers, composers and actors are extremely passionate here. It's a thriving talent pool. My first introduction to Tamil cinema was from Padayappa and Vaali. Moreover, I'm a big fan of Mani Ratnam sir. I've watched all of his films," she says excitedly, hoping to join the list of his heroines. While she does have a list of directors and genres she wants to work with, Malvi currently wants to focus on her character and the story before signing any project. "I would look into other characters, directors' previous work, and technicians. I discuss my character with my director and try to get into its detailing. Ultimately, I want to make sure everything is perfect before joining in a film," she says.
Coming from a theatre background, Malvi takes her mentor's help before working on a few roles. "Sometimes, I get into the skin of my character to prepare for it. In fact, I was pretending to be blind, trying to perform my everyday duties and even walked on the beach to try and make one of my roles as authentic as possible. When it became a muscle memory, it was easy for me to enact the role as soon as the camera was switched on," she reveals, highlighting the importance of working in varied roles in theatre plays before entering cinema. "You let go of your inhibitions, nervousness and learn everyone's dialogues, not just yours. After a while, it improves your memory as well," she says. But Malvi admits that the culture has changed. "Influencers are now being roped into cinema based on the number of followers and popularity. But not all industries do that. I landed my first Malayalam film Abhyuham solely based on my audition and they only chose me because I am a theatre artist. I had a deglamourised character and it was very realistic. For the first time, I did not have to worry about my hair and makeup," she says.
After debuting with Hotel Milan in Hindi, she worked in Abhyuham in Malayalam, Tiragabadara Saami in Telugu and has acted in several music videos in Punjabi. Pointing out some striking differences between industries, she says, "In the Tamil industry, we work non-stop—there's so much passion. Even if I was shooting for 20 hours straight, I never felt tired because the energy on set was incredible. The Punjabi industry, on the other hand, is a lot more relaxed and fun. You don’t even feel like you’re working—it’s like you’re just chilling, and somehow the shoot gets done."
Despite travelling across the country, Malvi's creative pursuits and aspirations are never ending. She wants to work with Dhanush, Vijay Sethupathi, Ajith, and Vijay, and wants to explore mythological, fantasy and action films. But for now, she urges audiences to catch Jenma Natchathiram and describes it as a "must-watch theatrical experience". "Our movie is in no way related to the old 1991 Tamil film. It can be related to The Omen, but not in the same way. It can be considered a prequel to it. The characterisations and the way the film is shot—from the very first scene to the last—hold a tight grip on the audience. It keeps you guessing at every turn, wondering what’s going to happen next. I’m confident that whoever watches it will thoroughly enjoy it," she says, confidently before signing off.
