Model-actress Vedhika, who will next be seen alongside the dancing legend Prabhudeva in Petta Rap, discusses working in the film, her upcoming projects down South, and more in an exclusive chat with The Pioneer.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
The versatile actress and model Vedhika has made a significant mark in the world of South cinema. Her captivating performances have gained immense popularity in regional film industries — now in her new assignment Petta Rap, she is playing the leading lady opposite dancing legend, Prabhudeva. That’s when we caught her unwary of an exclusive interview waiting for her!
She boards our ship saying, “I got underway with commercial films. Even I was one of those actresses who was running around the trees and doing utterly romantic sequences. Then came the dance numbers that I performed! That translated into performance-oriented films for me. After working with Bala, the avenues opened for me.”
She kick-started her acting journey in the Tamil film industry with the movie Madrasi. However, her breakthrough role as Angamma brought her critical acclaim and prestigious awards! The actress continued, “I remember playing a male ghost in one of my films. I live for such roles! I am only getting performance-oriented roles now that allows me to bring my versatility on board. I do a lot of discussions with my director, we are always in sync. A lot of costume drama happens on sets that keeps me engaged.”
She further showcased her acting prowess in the blockbuster movie Shivalinga and then in 2019, she made her remarkable Bollywood debut. Currently, “I am working on Petta Rap here and now—been on the sets from the last six days. So many dance sequences are coming up! Prabhudeva is a superstar, there is nobody in the world who doesn’t know him. The way he dances has made him carve a special place for him in our industry. He did his research well, because he told me how he had already watched me dance. I was flattered! He is an actor this time and all in-inclusive, he really is a simple man.”
An added responsibility with the cast like this as she needs to be on the toe every time and hoping to live up to everyone’s expectations! “There is a little bit of dark comedy also in the movie. A major shift is waiting for me because finally, I’ll be taking a break from all the serious roles. Expect some rocking music and kick-ass hook steps! A lot of nostalgia is on your way. Original Petta Rap played a huge role in my schooling days. We used to go crazy on A.R. Rahman’s music! Every day we used to tune into these songs in my car. The title is going to be a crowd puller with some nostalgia,” denotes the leading lady. She liked the script very much and she is glad the makers saw potential and the role came her way. Not much can be revealed now by she can say that she is playing the role of singer and she is ecstatic to essay the role.
“South industry is very reputable industry to be a part of nowadays. A lot of remakes are in process! Most of my friends love watching South movies more, they watch the dubbed versions. I am currently doing four films, two of them are complete. One of them is a web series in Telugu with a very big banner. Another Telugu film is on the silent genocide in Hyderabad, based on historical events. I am mainly speaking Telugu these days!” shared the talented actress with seventeen years, five languages, and working with top superstars.
Aside from, “I am an actress, it seems to feel like a social responsibility to me. So I do voice out my reasons wherever I can, cannot tolerate injustice. I am deeply involved for animal rights! I have turned vegan, couldn’t believe my eyes against the atrocities animals have to go through to be a meal for us. In animal farms, animals are bred to be killed! Just to be somebody’s kebab — they have to suffer this brutality. We are exploiting them for our selfish greeds. We can always change what is there on our plates but they only have one life.” Hence, “I would love to do those films also where I can create social awareness on trivial issues like this. This would be my real contribution as an actress! I don’t even have eggs. Millions of male chicks are killed as soon as they are born. And how? They are either drowned, put in gas chambers or thrown away in garbage bags! Female chickens are always kept in cages to reproduce. I can’t consume eggs after this sort of slaughtering.”
