Having received accolades for Ani IV Sasi's recent comedy, Uppu Kappurambu, Keerthy Suresh is highly optimistic about Revolver Rita, her next sojourn in the same genre. She, however, says Revolver Rita was not built on a new world embedded with absurdity. "Uppu Kappurambu was an experimental satirical comedy film with a lot of world-building involved, for which a lot of convincing is required. The film worked wonders for all of us. Revolver Rita is a rather easy film that didn't require studying a character too much or immersing yourself in it. The film is a no-brainer that happens in 24 hours," says Keerthy, who is having her first Tamil release this year.
Calling Revolver Rita a proper commercial package, Keerthy says it is a mixture of situational comedy and action. "I didn't have to carry Rita with me. It isn't a character-driven film, but more about how they react to situations thrown at them. That is how the comedy and action portions have been worked out in the film," says Keerthy, adding that the film joins the list of her experiments with comedy. "Uppu Kappurambu was a satirical comedy, and Raghu Thatha was a comedy film with a social message. Revolver Rita will be a pure dark comedy."
Though the film industry has taken definite strides in discarding some regressive stereotypes, such as women characters being present in the film just to look pretty, Keerthy says she has been consciously trying to break such stereotypes. "I have consciously chosen not to take such roles that expect me to just look pretty. I have been breaking that stereotype in every way possible. In Saani Kaayidham, I played a completely raw, de-glam role. I was 24 when I did Mahanati; I played a 40-45-year-old in the film. While female actors are usually averse to playing mothers when they are young, I played a mother of a six-year-old in Penguin. Even in a mass commercial like Sarkaru Vaari Paata, I had a space to do something new with my character," she lists out as she reveals that her next will be a proper action film.
Keerthy will be having a busy 2026, as she will have releases in multiple languages, including Hindi, Telugu, and Malayalam. She also vehemently supports the decision to have an eight-hour workday in cinema. "In the Tamil and Telugu industries, there is a strict eight-hour work schedule. When actors stand by the eight-hour work demand, it's not just for us, but for the crew, too. Even in a 9-6 call sheet, we need to start preparing from 6 am, and the day ends at 11 pm after workouts and all. An eight-hour workday isn't eight hours in the strictest sense," says Keerthy, who points out that extended work schedules affect the technical crew and ADs even more. "There is no point in accomplishing things while you are sleep deprived," points out Keerthy.
However, Keerthy has no qualms admitting that some industries do require actors to be flexible with their time. "In Malayalam and Hindi, you have a 12-hour schedule. Malayalam films are made on a relatively modest budget with fewer shooting days, so you need to be flexible with the working hours, and, understandably, they work like that. But ideally, an eight-hour workday strikes the healthy balance between career and life."
Over the years, Keerthy has also developed a persona that makes people relate to her more than just an actor. This is a refreshing change because in our film industry, the star persona of an actor overshadows every other aspect of that person. Keerthy says she is trying her hand at writing scripts and is closely associated with UNICEF. "I have written some scripts in the past five years. While I haven't been able to devote too much time to that recently, I am confident that eventually my scripts will take shape in the coming years. I am also an entrepreneur, and I have a keen eye on the market and my investments and the market too," she says, adding that she feels it is important to take care of the next generation in any way possible. "That was when UNICEF happened. I am happy to be associated with them. I always wanted to do something useful for the children, and I am able to give my little mite through the organisation."
Calling Revolver Rita special and unique, Keerthy says the film will be something that is easily palatable for the audience. "You cannot improvise a lot with serious characters, but in comedy, the options are limitless. In Revolver Rita, the characters are as fluid as they get. There is a beautiful synchronisation between characters, especially mine and Radikaa mam's, whom I have known for long as a dear friend of my mother," says the actor, who assures that one doesn't have to wear their thinking caps while watching the film. "The film will be light and fun. It wouldn't pressure you to remember details about the characters and think a lot about them. Revolver Rita will offer crazy entertainment," signs off Keerthy.
