'I can't speak a word of Kannada'

Actress Bhavana debuted in Kannada movies with ‘Jackie’, which did exceptionally well. 

Soon, she bagged substantial roles in big-budget films such as Vishnuvardhana, ‘Romeo’, Topiwala and Bachchan, which not only gave her the right amount of exposure but also the chance to act with all the leading men of Sandalwood. 

That Bhavana has pretty much settled into the Kannada film industry is evident, when she says, “I can’t speak a word of Kannada except for nimma hesaru yenu. I have to translate the dialogues into a language that I am comfortable in. I work hard to learn up the lines but I don’t mind that extra effort, as the roles that I am being offered in the Kannada film industry are pretty meaty.” 

Thanks to her frequent visits to the City, Bhavana has found her close circuit of friends in the Kannada film industry. 

“I find Upendra and Sudeep a little reserved but the rest of the actors are more of friends than just co-stars,” she adds. 

Bhavana is currently working in Mythri opposite Puneeth Rajkumar where she appears in a cameo. 

The film also has Malayalam actor Mohanlal play the role of a scientist. She plays a cranky wife in ‘Angry Babies...’ in Malayalam. “I actually got a chance to explore the cranky side of me. It’s a lot of fun with an underlying serious message,” she says.  

She says that she’s extremely content with the offers she’s getting down South and doesn’t feel the need to explore more language films including Bollywood. But Bhavana doesn’t hesitate to add that she particularly admires the work of Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan. 

“These two men have really proved their worth in the film industry. There are so many heroes in Bollywood but South Indian film industry has a limited number. The same big names keep getting big offers and heroines get to act with the same people over and over again,” she adds.

When Bhavana is not acting, she’s either reading or watching movies. “I have to watch at least one movie a day and I always have a book in hand in my spare time,” she sums up.