Suresh Kavirayani
sureshkavirayani@gmail.com
Malayali actress Malavika Manoj, who first made her mark with the Tamil hit Joe, is now set to charm Telugu audiences with her debut in Oh Bhama Ayyo Rama, directed by Ram Godhala and starring Suhas in the lead. Though fairly new to the industry with only a few films under her belt, Malavika is determined to stay true to her instincts.
After Joe turned out to be a success, Malavika began receiving offers from Telugu filmmakers. However, she turned them down, stating that she “didn’t like the stories.” What caught her attention in Oh Bhama Ayyo Rama was the role of Satyabhama. “She has a bit of a hyper nature and shows attitude, but she’s a pure soul. It’s a completely different character, so I agreed to do it,” said Malavika.
Despite not knowing Telugu, Malavika confidently took on the role with some preparation. “There was no workshop. I did a couple of days of rehearsal and then started shooting. The director of this film is really a sweetheart. He used to send me the dialogues and voice notes and made me feel comfortable. Because of him, I did this role,” she said.
When asked about the differences between film industries, Malavika observed, “I don’t find much difference between Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. Everyone is professional and caring on the sets. Except for the language, it’s very comfortable working here.” One of the more challenging scenes she shot involved water—despite not knowing how to swim. “That scene was very important and we couldn’t postpone it as it was happening in Warangal. I was scared, but there were people helping me and I completed it,” she recalled. Malavika is currently watching Telugu films to learn the language. “I used to watch dubbed versions, but now I’m watching them in Telugu. I want to learn the language. I prepared for it, so the barrier wasn’t a big problem.”
On choosing roles in the future, she stated firmly, “I want to try something different. If I do the same kind of roles, both I and the audience will get bored. If I like the story, I’ll do it—otherwise, I won’t do anything that’s not comfortable for me.”
Malavika also spoke about her co-star Suhas, calling him a professional. “He’s a reserved person. I’m reserved too and a bit soft. Apart from scenes or rehearsals, we didn’t speak much. But he’s professional and it was nice working with him.” Following the release of the trailer, viewers noticed that her role appears quite prominent. “I’m lucky that I got a role which is a bit dominant in my first Telugu film,” she said.
Coming from a non-film background, Malavika shared that her family was initially unaware of how big the industry could be. “I’m the first person in the industry from my family. When I did my first Malayalam film, I was in Class 10. Just a couple of months ago, I completed my graduation.”
Interestingly, her parents initially thought she was going out for a regular job. “They agreed and felt happy about my film career. They’re supportive and don’t think much about it. But my relatives were scared initially, questioning whether the industry is safe. Now, after seeing my films, they feel proud.” Despite the attention she received after Joe, Malavika remained selective. “I got many offers. Even if the story is good, sometimes I feel it’s not right for me. It would be better if someone else did the role. I want to do films I’m comfortable with.”
Reflecting on how she got into acting, Malavika revealed she wasn’t initially interested. “I’m a shy person and not comfortable acting in front of the camera. I had never done theatre or drama in school. But after posting some random pictures on Instagram, people approached me. I gave it a try and ended up liking my debut film. That’s when I decided to continue.”
Balancing her studies with her shoots was never a burden. “I’m an average student and don’t put in too much effort. During breaks on sets, I’d revise one day before and write my exams. Luckily, I passed.”
When it comes to glamour roles, she added, “I won’t say anything good or bad about it. But I’m not doing them because I’m not comfortable with it.” Asked about her criteria for choosing films, she summed it up clearly: “I don’t have a fixed checklist. I just listen to the story—if I like it and the scenes are comfortable, I’ll do it. If it has any glamour scenes, I won’t be comfortable and I won’t take it up.”
