Khushbu Sundar: Rama Baanam is a message-oriented film

Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar's first foray into South Indian cinema was with the Raghavendra Rao directorial Kaliyuga Pandavulu, opposite Venkatesh Daggubati in his debut film. Since then, Khushbu has worked with some of the finest directors of the South, including Bharathiraja, Jandhyala, P Vasu, K Balachander and Gopal Reddy. Although she concentrated mostly on Tamil films, Khushbu is slowly but steadily making her way back into the Telugu industry. Four years after the failure of Agnyaathavaasi, where in her words, “The audience didn't accept her and Pawan Kalyan as mother and foster son,” she has starred in Aadavallu Meeku Joharlu (2022) as Rashmika Mandanna’s mother. She is now set to play an important role in director Sriwass' Rama Banam, which stars Gopichand, Dimple Hayathi, and Jagapathi Babu.

Talking about why she only had brief sojourns in Telugu, Khushbu explains, “At one point, it was possible for me to work in a lot of Telugu films because the industry was based in Chennai. Once it shifted to Hyderabad, I did not want to uproot my family to Andhra Pradesh to work in Telugu films. They had already shifted from Mumbai to Chennai, and it was unfair to expect them to move again." In fact, in Rama Banam, she plays an entrepreneur named Bhuvaneshwari, who places family above all. “Bhuvaneshwari is very close to who I am in real life. Much like me, when it comes to protecting her family, she is a tigress. Bhuvaneshwari believes in two things - the unity of her family and the value of eating homegrown, traditional and organic foods. Rama Banam is a very message-oriented film that promotes familial values as well as healthy eating. Food malpractices are a key plot point in the film.” reveals Khushbu. 

Incidentally, Rama Banam has her forging new interactions and rekindling old ones. “This is the first time I am working with Gopichand. He is reserved by nature though there is also a mischievous side to his personality that comes out in his performances. He is a Chennai boy, so we bonded very well, conversing in Tamil. It was only on the last day of the shoot that I realised I don’t have a single picture with him, nor have we exchanged numbers (chuckles). Jagapathi Babu and I go way back. I have known him even before he became an actor. I worked in his father’s films. I fondly call him chow mama” reminisces Khushbu. 

Interestingly, working with a young actor like Dimple Hayathi was a revelation on many counts for the veteran actor. “Contrary to popular perception, it is me who has a lot to learn from Dimple and her generation of actors. There is so much variety in make-up, hair and costumes these days. Unlike, in the 80s and 90s, where acting was an over-the-top affair, there is a lot of subtlety in performances now. I have a lot to learn.” However, Khushbu is quick to note that her generation made up for the lack of resources with their resourcefulness. “There were times when we had to do make-up in dark rooms with candles and change costumes in bathrooms. When we did not have make-up, we did colour correction on our faces using turmeric powder. This hack worked especially well when we had to shoot temple scenes. You have graphics today, we had original tricks up our sleeve,” quips Khushbu, with pride. 

Not one to mince words, especially when it comes to voicing out her aspirations, Khushbu signs off the interview, saying, “I want to do more roles in Telugu for sure. But I am also very choosy about the work I do. It does not matter if the role is even 10 minutes long, I want that part to be significant. I have also never got a chance to work with Chiranjeevi or Balakrishna so far. If the right script comes along, I am game for it.”