'I take the shape of the jar that I'm put in'

Ambitious Actress

Bangalore girl Rajshri Ponnappa may not have made a debut in the Kannada film industry yet, but she sure is making her mark in Malayalam and Tamil films.

The actress, who has finally caught the attention of Sandalwood film-makers, says that her heart will always be in Kannada films as her roots are here. 
Why the delay? “It’s not like I delayed it on purpose. I was supposed to play the lead role in Paro w/o Devdas but due to date issues, it didn’t work out for me. And soon, I got two wonderful offers and they fell in place,” Rajshri tells Metrolife.  

Having started shooting for Nagabharna’s Vasundhara and also playing a role in Love Guru 2, Rajshri says that being choosy when it comes to selecting roles in movies has helped her mould her career well. “The script has to be good. At the same time, no matter how good the subject is, the execution also matters. That’s why I first see if I can do justice to the role offered to me and only then take it up,” she says. 

That’s why, when she was offered the role of a nun in her upcoming Malayalam film Pithavinam Puthranum, she did her own research before signing the project. “I play the role of a nun who has been forced to enter a convent.

 She, on the other hand, wants to lead her own life. Like any other normal girl, she has her own dreams and little pleasures like applying nail paint or wearing normal clothes but is not allowed to. It’s her perspective and her side of the story,” she says.

When she went to Kerala, did her research and spoke to people about it, Rajshri says that she got a deeper insight into the topic. “People are saying that it’s a controversial subject but I beg to differ. It’s an important subject that has to be brought out,” she adds. 

Rajshri will also be seen in another hard-hitting role in Vasundhara, where she plays the character of a journalist. It requires her to really show her gutsy side. But the actress is quick to add that just because she is playing a few ‘unconventional’ characters doesn’t mean she isn’t open to glamourous ones. 

“I believe I’m like mercury — I take the shape of the jar that I’m put in. I want to try out different kinds of roles and have a good body of work which I will be satisfied with. Acting has always been my passion and the satisfaction I get from being in front of the camera is great,” she sums up.