'I didn't feel out of place'

Karthika Nair has come a long way from her first film Josh in Telugu, when she was barely 17 years old. The young actress has acted in all South Indian film industries. Her debut Kannada film Brindaavana has hit the screens this week.

Karthika says that she never went to an acting school. She chose to debut with no prior tutoring in acting. In fact, she didn’t have a make-up artist at her beck and call.

 “I was never prepared to act. I went to a business school and was ready to assist my father in his hotel business. When my first acting offer came by, it was indeed an irresistible one. Now, here I am, thoroughly enjoying what I am doing while trying to finish my course in business studies,” says Karthika.

Karthika’s role as a journalist in Tamil film Ko, opposite Jiiva was much appreciated. There weren’t any loud moments in the film. “My character required me to be calm and composed. There was so much maturity in the role and I guess that’s what people really liked about the character. It was quite tough,” she recollects.

This young actress states that she is not in the film industry to make money, and that it is not her ‘bread and butter’.

“I would like to do some meaningful characters while I am here. I am in no hurry to sign one project after another,” she asserts.

Karthika has been getting offers from the Kannada film industry since she started acting. But she took her time to sign a project.

 “It’s a family-oriented subject and I play a traditional character. I must say that I didn’t feel out of place in the Kannada film industry, thanks to the people who went out of the way to make me feel at home,” she adds. In contrast to her character in Brindaavana, she plays a glamourous role in ‘Deal’, which she dubs as a ‘fast-paced’ action thriller.
Karthika comes from a family of actors. Her mother Radha is a popular actress in the Tamil film industry, so is her aunt Ambika.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise when she says, “If am not shooting, then I am watching movies. My aunt and I always catch the first day, first show at the nearest theatre.”