After an unimpressive comeback, it's up to directors to give her the roles she deserves

One wonders what convinced director Shashank to make ‘Krishnan Love Story’. The romantic drama, released in 2010, has so many ill-fated twists. The mandatory yet well-written meet-cute portion cannot salvage the depressing tone of the film.

The middle class struggle is Shashank’s favourite theme. Even in that idea, there is enough scope to show hope and positivity. Nevertheless, despite its hard-to-stomach plot and tragic ending, 'Krishnan Love Story' turned out to be a blockbuster. With that, Radhika Pandit had arrived.

Sridhar Sambram’s songs still sound fresh today while Shekar Chandra’s excellent cinematography paints a realistic Bengaluru. But undoubtedly, Radhika’s performance is the film’s biggest plus. A decade since the movie, her brilliant portrayal of Geetha, a lower-middle class woman forced to compromise on her dreams, remains the best effort of her successful career.

Radhika, who graduated from the small screen, made a confident debut with Moggina Manasu, another Shashank film. The jitters of a newcomer were hardly visible. She played Chanchala, a college-going girl, in a film that beautifully showcased the facets of teenage life.

In ‘Krishnan Love Story’, she aces a complex character. Apart from suffering a heartbreak, the character struggles to stand upright against the ugly face of the society. She is judged and ridiculed for her choices and is not welcome at home. To add salt to the injury, she suffers a near-fatal accident.

Radhika convincingly brings alive the enormous pain undergone by Geetha. As the character transforms, it’s her fine control that makes her performance worth remembering even today.

While she is measured as a lover, she is brilliant when she bursts into hysterics in the second half. She is very impactful as an angry woman fighting the patriarchal mindset of the society. Towards the end, through her silence, Radhika is very believable as a mentally tough person.

If only the narrative had remained completely on the female lead, ‘Krishnan Love Story’ would have been a better experience. Shashank attempts to offer equal significance to both the leads but falters. Ajay Rao is sincere as a desperate and committed lover but the character lacks strength.

Not surprisingly, ‘Krishnan Love Story’ won Radhika four awards (Filmfare, Udaya Film, Suvarna Film & Big Kannada Entertainment).

What followed was the numero uno status. The female stardom was an important development for Sandalwood, which was busy identifying the next male superstar.

There are multiple reasons for Radhika’s success. Her expressive eyes are hard not to like. Apart from oozing grace in roles that had serious undertones, she has the face to effortlessly star in glamorous frolics. In a time when demand for heroines for Mumbai and Delhi was high in Sandalwood, Radhika’s presence was a welcome relief. Her comfort in Kannada helped her performances seem natural.

The success of Love Guru (2009) and Gaana Bajana (2010) showed that she had perfected the template of playing a lover. Addhuri (2011) and Alemari (2011) had good stories told through the hero’s perspective.

Yet, the fact that Radhika held her own in these films is a clinching proof of her calibre.

Her career hit a dull phase with movies like ‘18th Cross’, ‘Sagar’ and ‘Breaking News’. Though she was sincere in her performances, her roles weren’t special enough.

Playing a fun and feisty woman in Yogaraj Bhat’s ‘Drama’, she tasted success again. Her mature performance was unmissable in Suri’s Kaddipuddi but monotony seeped into her career with films like ‘Endendigu’, ‘Dilwala’ and ‘Doddamane Hudga’.

The Yash-starrer 'Mr and Mrs Ramachari' proved to be another landmark film. Debutant director Santosh Ananddram’s script gave Radhika enough room to unleash her acting prowess. It helped that Yash and Radhika were a real-life couple as they shared a pleasing on-screen chemistry.

Marriage and motherhood put an indefinite halt to her career. After a three-year layoff, ‘Aadi Lakshmi Puraana’ failed to be the comeback vehicle fans hoped for, as it was an underwhelming romantic comedy.

Can Radhika carry the entire film’s burden by herself? Does she have the range to pull off characters with tough demands? For that, writers and directors in Kannada must believe in writing such characters for the actor. They must convince themselves that it is okay to give the female lead more screen space.

It’s also not known if the actor is in the conscious chase for challenging roles. Till then, let’s revisit some of her finest performances available on different platforms.