Actor Athulya Ravi likes challenging herself, something which is apparent through her film choices. Take for instance her upcoming film, —her foray into out-and-out comedy. “After the script narration, I realised that it is a comedy film from beginning to end.
This is the first time I am exploring this genre. I also play an Anglo-Indian woman in the film,” says Athulya. The trailer for directors Vikram Rajeshwar and Arun Keshav’s heist comedy shows Athulya’s character breaking a beer bottle on Vaibhav’s head.
However, the actor is quick to set the expectations straight in response to a question about the implications of the scene. “My character is not all that intense and this is just a fun-filled entertainer. But then again, she is not a freaky girl.
The moment in the trailer is just an instance where she has a fit of anger,” explains the actor. She then adds, “What I liked about the story is that there is no clear-cut romantic track in the film. There is a bit of a romance in there somewhere.
But the film is all about a robbery and how the characters are connected to it.” For Athulya, it helps that Vaibhav is a longtime friend. “We are good friends.
But, we have not worked before. One day, he called me and told me that he was about to do a comedy film and that he would like me to be a part of it. When we eventually worked on the film, it was easy because we already knew each other,” says the actor.
Chennai City Gangsters is helmed by a debutant director duo. However, she says, “My directors are so confident in what they do, whether it be writing or staging a scene. They have a clear idea of how to go about it.
” On the working dynamics between herself and the director duo, Athulya says, “Since I am also relatively new to the industry, I used to ask them about my approach to a particular scene, and they gave me complete freedom to do it my way. They never said you should do something only in a particular way, but they also gave me alternatives wherever necessary.” Athulya made her debut with the 2017 film, .
However, the actor shares that even after seven years, she still feels like she has a lot to learn. “In 2017, I came into the industry without any expectations. First two-three years, I did not know what the industry was like or how it ran.
Even now, I am still learning the ropes as an actor,” says Athulya. While she might consider herself a learner, Athulya is still particular about bringing a distinct voice to her roles. “I am very conscious about bringing freshness into my performance, whether it be at the time of performing or dubbing.
Even if it is just dubbing, it shouldn’t sound like the dubbing I did for other films.” About her influences and aspirations, she says, “I want to do different roles as well, such as a village girl. If you look at some of the top actors like Simran and Jyothika, they used to do all kinds of roles, whether commercial or experimental.
They even did negative roles. In recent times, actors have been boxed into certain types of roles. I feel that there should not be any barrier and that actors also have to trust their instincts more.
If a director approaches you with a new role, why can’t you trust yourself with it too?” says the actor. She goes on to add, “But I am also not in a position to go out and do any role I want. Whatever role comes my way, I will do it if I feel that I can pull it off.
” Athulya also started her career in the Telugu film industry with last year’s Meter, and she is keen on doing more roles in Telugu. “Mythri Movie Makers, who has done Pushpa, launched me in Telugu. Now, I am also doing some Telugu films, for which I have learnt the language by watching films and interviews and interacting with my crew.
I continue to learn it even if I make mistakes because I want to dub for my films in Telugu, without relying on prompting,” says the actor. On why she feels the need to go the extra mile, Athulya explains, “When I started my career in Tamil, it took a long time and it was a bit of a struggle. Now when I go to a new industry, I am treated as a newcomer.
So I want to put in a special effort, and learning Telugu through trial and error is the first step. I am almost there.”.
