More character roles for Shruthi
Now that Kavitha Lankesh has named her film Mussanjeya Katha Prasanga as Avva, one wondered who would be her Avva. It is now confirmed that it is none other than actress Shruthi who, once a proclaimed journalist, is capable of drenching entire galleries with tears. Avva or Anebaddi Rangavva, is a widow who has had to eke out a living selling milk and lending money. She has a beautiful daughter who has come of age and is the cynosure of all eyes in the village. Which means, Shruthi plays the role of the mother of a teenaged daughter.

At the press meet, the actress was naturally anxious over playing a woman much older than herself, but was nonetheless delighted to be donning a role that has depth. Her only fear was that people who referred to her as a cute girl after her debut soon began saying that the industry got a good sister, heroine and finally a fine mother (check out Sirivantha). After all, who could match up to Vishnuvardhan’s skills, if not Shruthi?

Perfect choice
While we are on the subject of still young actresses playing mothers, let’s hear what Rangayana Raghu had to say about choosing Shruthi as Avva. Tickled at playing Bharamanna, Raghu was equally happy that he would be acting alongside Shruthi, who, according to him, was a perfect actress.

To stress the point, Raghu recalled what his ‘Meshtru’ (B V Karant) used to say. Apparently, an actress who is just 16 years old and has the mentality of a grown woman was the perfect choice to play Shakuntala. Raghu naturally ascribed these qualities to Shruthi and visualised her as Shakuntala!

With different interpretations of the epic coming into vogue, wonder how the audience would receive Shruthi as Shakuntala!

Plenty of gumption
Enough of the mother. Let us now talk about Rangavva’s daughter, Savantri. A feisty girl with charming naivete, Savantri offers a challenge of her own. And Smitha, who begged Kavitha for another chance, has plenty of gumption, just like the character. This girl, who acted in several serials such as ‘Yaava Janmada Maitri’, was also a part of Prajwal’s debut, ‘Sixer’, where hers was a blink-n-miss role.

Excited at playing the solo lead, the fetching girl breezed through the press meet in English, even though Raghu gently reminded her to use more Kannada. Guess a few days away from city life, closer to mother nature and Kavitha Lankesh will help Smitha brush up her Kannada and get under Savantri’s character.

All for his brother
First it was financiers. Then it was land developers and the like. Now it is the turn of politicians to do the rounds of Gandhinagar. Krishnamurthy, a junior BJP leader is now into movies, producing one for his brother Janardhan. And the title? ‘Ashwatha’.

Why Ashwatha?

Is it the abbreviated form for the famous Ashwathamo Hathah Kunjaraha episode in the Mahabharatha? Or has singer C Ashwath consented to lend his name to the film? Turns out it’s neither of the two.

The title ‘Ashwathaman’ is already registered with the Chamber and this team had to be content with just ‘Ashwatha’.

The story of a village youth going astray after coming into contact with city life has been penned by the producer himself.

Director P C Ramesh says the film exhorts such youth to go back to the villages.

Hero Janardhan is paired opposite Roopashree to whom ‘Ashwatha’ is the fifth film. All the others are yet to be released.