Satyabhama is not at all like me – Bhama

Bhama, hailing from Kottayam, has plenty of reasons to be happy. She perhaps had never thought she would be in films. But she is there now well and good.

The big thing that happened to her was that she was launched by none other than the most reputed Lohithadas, the director who has launched many a new face in films, most of whom have made it big in subsequent years. Bhama was chosen to play the heroine in Lohithadas' recent film Nivedhyam and ever since the media has been abuzz with news relating to her, especially because doing a key role in a film by such an accomplished filmmaker itself is news. And now, after Nivedhyam, Bhama is already into two interesting projects. Other offers are also coming her way. Bhama, in a causal chat with Unni Nair of nowrunning.com, talks about her experiences doing Nivedhyam and other things. Excerpts-

So, how do you feel after Nivedhyam?

Happy; happy in the first place that I could work with so accomplished a filmmaker; and also happy because the film has been received well, all over Kerala. It's a feeling that cannot be put into words.

How did you feel when you were chosen to play the heroine in Nivedhyam?

It was like a dream come true. And a dream which perhaps I had never even dared to dream, because playing the heroine in a film directed by someone like Lohi Sir is no ordinary thing, and that too if you are a nobody. I was simply excited, happy and to be frank, struck speechless with wonder.

How did you happen to get the offer to act in Nivedhyam?

Lohi Sir, who was on the look out for a new face for Nivedhyam, happened to see me presenting Thaali, a matrimonial programme on television. It wasn't a regular programme too and hence I think it was my luck or God's will that Lohi Sir happened to see the programme. When I got his call, I was surprised beyond words, and I even thought that perhaps someone was befooling me. I replied shyly that I didn't know anything about acting. But I was told to come up without any kind of fear. That was how Nivedhyam happened.

How was your experience, facing the camera for the first time?

To be frank, I had even thought of returning without acting, even before I joined up for Nivedhyam. But Lohi sir gave me all the support and encouragement I needed. He asked me to bank upon my experiences and forget myself and think that I am Satyabhama, the character that I was playing. I simply followed his instructions and that worked. And thus Satyabhama came alive on screen. And I loved working in the film, especially because while being on the sets, it was like being in one's own family.

How different is Satyabhama from Bhama?

Bhama is not at all like Satyabhama. Bhama had always been a shy kind of girl, having no courage even to look at people in their eyes. I haven't even ever dared to speak out my mind boldly. But Satyabhama is a very bold kind of girl, who knows how to react boldly and even speak out her mind. Thus Bhama and Satyabhama are in reality poles apart, totally different from each other.

Tell us about the response that you got after the film was released?

People all around me now see me not as Bhama, but as Satyabhama. And that itself is proof of how much they liked the characters. All my friends too liked seeing the film. They have appreciated my work in the film. And there have been many people, all new to me, whom I have been meeting who have been showering their love and blessings on me.

It's heard that you have signed a couple of interesting projects. Which are they?

I am one of the heroines in the Johnny Antony-directed Cycle and also one of the heroines in Vinayan Sir's Hareendran Oru Nishkalankan.

Tell us about your characters in these two films?

In Cycle, in which I am acting along with Vineeth Sreenivasan, Vinu Mohan and Sandhya (of Kaathal fame), I am playing a girl named Annie, who has her own share of problems and woes plus some dreams too. It is a very interesting kind of character. And in Hareendran Oru Nishkalankan, in which I play the heroine opposite Indrajith, Jayasurya and Manikuttan, I am playing the daughter of the character played by Jagathy Sreekumar, who is a very rich man. The name of the character is Indu. A lively character.

It's also heard that you have been getting offers from Tamil. What about it?

Yes, I did get some offers from Tamil, and some interesting ones too. Anyhow I have decided to focus attention first on Malayalam and then only think of Tamil. I am just a beginner, let me establish myself first. God willing, if I get good roles in Tamil later, maybe I will give it a thought then.

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Nivedyam