Aksha Pardasany, who is currently seen doing some amazing fantastic on OTT, speaks to The Pioneer about the changing dynamics in the industry, her South stint, and more.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Aksha Pardasany used to be that celebrated actress southward who started receiving movie offers opposite stars like Nikhil Siddhartha, and more. She got some rave reviews even when she was paired with Nani, and nowadays she’s doing some fantastic on OTT with shows like Jamtara or a Rafuchakkar.
When in an exclusive conversation with the Yuvatha fame, we perceive, “A lot of us actresses are signing multiple projects these days without hanging back, because we were exposed to the world of cinema.Presently, before signing any role we are not going to be shilly-shally. And, the cinema world doesn’t discriminate.
That influenced our entertainment industry, alot. Writers and directors look at our roles differently now, they enjoy watching women taking central space on the web now! There is no barricade these days from the time I started in this industry. We are given the creative liberty to come to the forefront and act now!
This has been a game-changer in my career because I don’t come from a film family.OTT is like a gold-mine for actresses like me! The confidence these giants show in us is so encouraging. I am still struggling in this business. Even after receiving filmfare nominations, my struggles didn’t end.”
She recaptures, “When I was a newcomer in the South Industry, I was doing every and any film. I just wanted to get started there! I was seriously sparring with myself back in those days. There was so much competition then, I used to wait for almost three hours in an audition line. After grabbing a few Telugu films, I still didn’t know how the market worked.
Moreover, South fans started to build some kind of an expectation from me and again I was swedging in between. I couldn’t guarantee that success to them, it was so early in my career. Besides, I was extremely afraid to attempt any mistakes because I didn’t want any producer to think multiple times before investing in me a Telugu film.”
She still loves the auditioning process, no disparaging over there and she exclaimed, “Nothing is secured in this fraternity even if you are an A-lister. I never auditioned for the series! That doesn’t mean I am not open to the idea of auditioning. Nobody likes the process, we just love performing for the bigger catch.There were times when casting directors ghosted on me! I suggest they have basic courtesy for an artist, we are okay not getting the part, but we are not okay being ghosted.”
Convulsing some more about her working experience in regional cinema, she serpentines, “It’s been a while since I haven’t done a Telugu movie.The South film industry was my learning school. They gave me the opportunity of playing the quintessential Telugu heroine at the age of sixteen! It was a present to me from Tollywood, that’s how I remember it.
I still watch my ventures, even into the Malayalam industry to take inferences for upcoming projects. I landed that film in my tenth standard, big deal for me! I am very analytical about my work now. From facing the camera, to make-up and hairstyling — it’s all taught to me by the south film industry.”
So is she or is she not focussing on the South anymore, we wondered. She said, “It wasn’t a conscious decision. I was doing a lot of films there, all of them were commercial but no new roles were coming to me. I was turning into a typical heroine there! I didn’t want to cling onto it anymore. Give me an experimental Telugu film on the web, I’ll sign it spot-on!
But I still remember, Nikhil and I started together in tollywood. We were just one film old. We had no idea about being the lead pair!” A force to reckon with, as we mentioned earlier, she’s also one of the leading cast members in Rafuchakkar on which she elaborates, “There were some characteristics that I couldn’t relate to. Especially my character role’s sarcasm!
In my real life, I am very upfront. Took a long time for me to get used to the sarcastic behaviour. I was wearing the uniform for the second time, familiar with how cops work now. My research is good! Honestly, I felt a little more responsible. Assuming it’s the charm of the uniform that’s given to us. My body language changed totally! All eyes were on me, I felt powerful. I didn’t have to forge my part. Immense respect for the police force.”
Our next question was, ‘has she finally found her place in the acting business!’ To this she replies, “I don’t consider myself as an established actress, yet. I still haven’t experienced a lot! I am still a newcomer in my head.I have just laid the first brick of success for me, right now. We still have a long time to go! I am going to be very selective with my upcoming projects now.
I did my own preparation for Rafuchakkar without the help of my director. Bellamkonda Suresh was the one who gave me two of the biggest hits of my career in Telugu!He showed faith in me when I was figuratively a newcomer in the industry.The film Ride turned into a 100-day run at the box-office, it was a massive hit back then! He approached me for another film and luckily, even that turned out to be the biggest hit of the year.”
