Every step was tough for me: Adhvithi Shetty

The actress took up acting seriously only after movie buffs applauded her performance in ‘Mr and Mrs Ramachari’

Actor Adhvithi Shetty, who was seen in films like ‘Mr and Mrs Ramachari’, ‘Suli’ and ‘Girgitle’, is playing a doctor in ‘Kaarmoda Saridu’ which hit the screens on Friday. The actor, who never planned to become one, is excited about her lead role. In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, she talks about her role and her career.

Tell us a bit about your role and the film.

I play the role of Dr Priya in the film. The character is beautiful and a positive one. I have played a doctor on the small screen before, so it wasn’t too hard. ‘Kaarmoda Saridu’ is a content-oriented film and has a non-linear script. It talks about how everybody’s life has a dark side, how people don’t value relationships sometimes and then end up in pain.

How different was it to work as a lead character?

It honestly hasn’t sunk in yet. For someone who never planned to join the industry, my journey has been quite adventurous and I feel blessed to have come this far. I am present throughout the film, I have some song sequences too and my lines are value-based which emphasise on my acting skills.

Did you face any challenges during the shoot?

While I didn’t face challenges portraying the role, the shooting experience was quite exhausting. We stayed at Kalasa and shot in Kudremukh in August last year, when the weather was quite bad. There were landslides and many trees had been uprooted; passing through those roads was scary. Climbing the hills during those times was difficult; it was slippery and there were leeches, too.

What brought you to acting?

In the film ‘Mr and Mrs Ramachari’, they needed identical twins to play supporting roles. That’s why my twin Ashvithi and I auditioned. When people liked my role, I realised that I wanted to give back the love I received from the industry and explore it a bit more. And that’s how the other films happened.

How has your journey been?

For some people, they play the lead role in their first film itself. But my journey has been quite different. I completed my MBA in Human Resources and then took up a job. It was a challenge for me to convince my family that I wanted to pursue acting. Every step was a tough one for me. I groomed myself and kept perfecting my Kannada.

What’s in the pipeline?

I just completed the shoot for ‘Fan’ and ‘1888’. I’m currently shooting for ‘Sadhguna Sampanna Madhava 100%’, as Ravi Shankar’s daughter. I am looking to work on performance-oriented roles where my presence affects the script. I want movie buffs to notice me for my acting.

There are many fresh faces in Sandalwood. What do you feel are your plus points?

I am hardworking and really committed to whatever I take up. I’ve been an athlete and am professionally trained in dance, which adds to my skills. I am also very patient, which I think is important for an actor.

Some of the actors you would like to work with...

The industry has a lot of good actors and I would like to work with all of them. I was lucky to have worked with Yash. I would love to work with Puneeth Rajkumar, Darshan and Sudeep in the future.