Never tired of experimenting

Challenging roles

Malayalam actress Bhama has now become a familiar face in the Kannada film industry and the actress doesn’t hesitate to admit that Bangalore has become her second home, as after Malayalam films, she has signed Kannada films the most.

Bhama has come a long way from debut film Modalasala in the Kannada film industry. She is known for her versatility and that’s precisely why she was offered different roles in all the Kannada films she has worked in thus far – be it  Shyloo, Auto Raja, Barfi or Ondu Kshanadalli.

In her latest Kannada project Ambara, Bhama plays the role of Arundhathi. “It is a love story that’s knit around college life and societal perception about the same. Love as a subject has been overdone in films but this movie tries to look at the subject in
a different perspective. It traces the different stages of love,” says Bhama.      
 
Bhama observes that there was a time when Kannada films had very hero-oriented subjects. “But now, the scene is slowly changing. Importance is being given to subjects based on women and this also gives immense scope for performance-oriented roles,” she explains. 

Film buffs have seen Bhama in both traditional and modern roles. But she was always more on the traditional side and Bhama was keen to break free from this stereotype. She has donned a couple of bold and outgoing characters on screen but she is firm about not wearing too many revealing clothes. “Modernity can be interpreted in different ways and I think I could explore that side as an actor without being too loud,” she adds.   

Bhama is also doing a couple of Malayalam movies. She plays a pregnant woman in Konthayum Poonoolum which she says was indeed challenging. She also shot with actor Indrajith for another Malayalam film in the heart of South Africa. “The best thing about this movie is the role and that I also got to learn a bit of the local language of Kenya,” she notes.

Ask Bhama about her rapport with her co-stars in the Kannada film industry and she confesses that she finds it hard to pick and choose. “Working in Kannada films is like working with one big family,” she sums up.