In an industry where the shelf life of female actors is increasingly diminishing, Bhavana has been a rare exception. Even after two decades since her debut, she continues to headline and be part of prominent projects. However, the journey hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
En route, the actor witnessed soaring heights and agonising lows, but she braved them all to sparkle radiantly as a beacon of hope and strength for many to look up to. Today, Bhavana stands as a figure of valour and dignity, with a zeal to break the glass ceiling. After a 5-year-long break from Malayalam cinema, the actor returned to her home turf only last year, but she already has a handful of projects lined up.
She is currently looking forward to the release of Hunt, a paranormal thriller, slated to hit the screens this Friday. Ahead of its release, we catch up with Bhavana to discuss her career, choices, regrets, and her ambitions. Even while I was on a sabbatical from Malayalam, I was still active in Kannada cinema.
During this period, I was getting several offers from here, but I was not ready. I kept pondering if I should ever come back to Malayalam, but all my well wishers urged me not to decline good offers. After a point, even I felt that maybe it’s time to resume work here.
When was first pitched, I knew that it was not something groundbreaking, but I still felt it would make a nice, feel-good film. Then I did a cameo in Shanker Ramakrishnan’s Rani. When Jean (Paul Lal) first told me about in the beginning of 2022, I was initially hesitant, but still decided to do it.
For , I was first approached by producer Radhakrishnan chettan, with whom I had worked earlier in Winter (2009). I also liked how the horror element was treated in it. Then there’s Shaji sir.
So, it’s a team I’m comfortable and familiar with. Looking back, I think these are the two main factors that made me say yes to all these projects. I did (2006) when I was just a couple of years old in industry.
I was scared to work with such a senior director, but Shaji sir was friendly and comforting. It’s different working with seniors. There’s a certain pattern they follow and it still prevails.
Currently, I’m doing two Malayalam films made by debutants. One is a comedy entertainer and the other is a thriller. I’ve been associated with both these projects right from the initial discussions.
We work as a team, sharing suggestions and queries constantly. In Jean’s films, be it (2013) or , I was not part of it as just an actor. I was involved in every discussion, including the shot divisions.
But with seniors like Shaji sir, Hariharan sir or Joshiy sir, the working process is entirely different. Apart from some occasional suggestions, our part is mostly limited to delivering what they want from us. Of course the first, because it brings multiple perspectives and suggestions into the picture.
You can’t do a film assuming that what I’m doing is always right. But at the same time, these seniors have already proven their command over the craft. They’d have a certain clarity in their mind and we just have to tune ourselves to it.
I love doing humour, be it (2007), (2010), (2014) or (2017). I enjoyed playing these roles, but I’m more delighted when people say they enjoyed watching my performance. During shoot, I used to constantly crack jokes and the assistant directors had a hard time controlling their laughter.
I feel happy when I’m able to make people laugh. My regrets are mostly about the choice of people I worked with, including my managers. When I started out, my father and manager used to choose my projects and I’d just do whatever they picked.
I was 15 when I debuted, so my opinions weren’t taken seriously. I think (2006) was the first film that I chose on my own. Gradually, my father also started trusting my instincts.
I can’t blame him either, because I was too young then. In my 30s, I’m still ambitious about my career and often get depressed. But as a person, I’m more happy and content than ever.
I enjoy spending quality time with my puppies, friends, family or watching films. I have my own bubble; where I’m happy and don’t have to prove anything to anyone. That’s what I meant by that post.
I wish for that ‘remarkable shift’, but I can only choose from what I get. I can’t just sit here and wish for a , right? (laughs). Among the 20 films I’m offered today, I pick only one or two.
It’s easy for me to do them all, make some money and get back to my comforts. But I know I’ll be depressed. There have been instances where I signed a project after hearing the narration, only to realise on sets that it’s not being executed the way it was initially pitched.
It gets me anxious, but the truth is, I’m helpless. I’m not a superstar or an actor with great market value to stall the shoot immediately and ask the director for a complete revamp. I have no other option but to play along.
But like I said earlier, if it’s a good, amicable team, I can always raise my concerns. Yes, it happens. The moment people say it’s a strong, bold character, I can’t help but take them with a pinch of salt.
At the end of the day, it’s not about the character’s braveness, but how appealing the script is to the public. I’m also wary of not getting stereotyped in such ‘bold’ roles. I don’t want what’s going on in my personal life to define my career.
Firstly, I’m not really into social media. I don’t share much about my personal life there, but people still question why I’m not uploading photos with my husband regularly. They automatically assume that I’m divorced or separated, but why should I be proving them wrong? I can’t go up to Naveen every time and say, ‘Come, let’s click a pic so that I can share on social media and show it to these people?’ That won’t be me.
I don’t live on social media..
