<p>Actress Virginia Rodrigues is on a happy high, having made her debut in Kannada cinema with the suspense-thriller ‘Mahira’, which released on Friday. A theatre artiste for 20 years, the actor has marked her presence in Malayalam cinema already. In a candid chat with Metrolife, the actor talks about her role and more. </p>.<p><strong>Being a theatre artiste, how different are films?</strong></p>.<p>I have been a part of various theatre teams and I am frequently working. I entered mainstream cinema about three-and-half years ago. ‘Samrapanam’ and ‘Marupadi’ in Malayalam were my earlier projects. Theatre teaches one to be disciplined and focussed. Theatre and films are a different ballgame though.</p>.<p><strong>How did the project come to you?</strong></p>.<p>The director approached me for the film after a friends had referred to me. We met and he thought I suited the character. He told me that I would have to do my stunts myself. </p>.<p><strong>What about the ‘Mahira’ made you want to take it up?</strong></p>.<p>Firstly, the challenge to do one’s own stunts in a film was quite enticing. The character had a lot of scope: there were so many variations and emotions that an actor could explore and play with. The feel of the script and the approach to it was fresh.</p>.<p><strong>Tell us a bit about your role.</strong></p>.<p>I play Maya, the protagonist of the film. She is a mother and a former undercover cop. ‘Mahira’ is an action film; my character and her daughter are on the run throughout the film.</p>.<p>The film talks about the relationship between the mother and daughter, of how Maya takes charge of situations and more. The film is a story about vigilance, grit and determination about overcoming challenges in life.</p>.<p><strong>How close to Maya are you? </strong></p>.<p>The spirit that Maya has is similar to mine, I identify with it. ‘Mahira’ means one who is resilient, strong and persistent. This spoke to me. I am definitely not the Maya you see on the screen. She is a completely different person. She is less expressive. Yet, somehow, we are similar.</p>.<p><strong>What was the process of preparation like?</strong></p>.<p>I trained for around two and a half months at Chetan D’Souza’s Chaos Faktory. I practiced all the stunts that were needed there, including mixed martial arts. On particularly vigorous days, I trained for more than eight hours.</p>.<p>I did the scenes without body doubles, ropes or safety gears. ‘Mahira’ is a very important film to me; I have put in a lot of efforts into it.</p>.<p>Age and agility are closely connected. Training in my 40s for a character like this needed a lot of determination from my side. There were times I would go back home with sore muscles during the training. I loved the training and I train frequently when I’m in Bengaluru. </p>.<p><strong>How was your chemistry with the cast of the film?</strong></p>.<p>It was a blessing to work with the cast of this film. I have always been lucky when it came to the sort of people I work with. Raj B Shetty is an angel and I could say this a 1,000 times.</p>.<p>He is also from Mangaluru and is a darling, I had a lot of fun working with him. </p>.<p>Chaitra, who played my daughter in the film, and I share a beautiful bond. Our chemistry worked well too.</p>
<p>Actress Virginia Rodrigues is on a happy high, having made her debut in Kannada cinema with the suspense-thriller ‘Mahira’, which released on Friday. A theatre artiste for 20 years, the actor has marked her presence in Malayalam cinema already. In a candid chat with Metrolife, the actor talks about her role and more. </p>.<p><strong>Being a theatre artiste, how different are films?</strong></p>.<p>I have been a part of various theatre teams and I am frequently working. I entered mainstream cinema about three-and-half years ago. ‘Samrapanam’ and ‘Marupadi’ in Malayalam were my earlier projects. Theatre teaches one to be disciplined and focussed. Theatre and films are a different ballgame though.</p>.<p><strong>How did the project come to you?</strong></p>.<p>The director approached me for the film after a friends had referred to me. We met and he thought I suited the character. He told me that I would have to do my stunts myself. </p>.<p><strong>What about the ‘Mahira’ made you want to take it up?</strong></p>.<p>Firstly, the challenge to do one’s own stunts in a film was quite enticing. The character had a lot of scope: there were so many variations and emotions that an actor could explore and play with. The feel of the script and the approach to it was fresh.</p>.<p><strong>Tell us a bit about your role.</strong></p>.<p>I play Maya, the protagonist of the film. She is a mother and a former undercover cop. ‘Mahira’ is an action film; my character and her daughter are on the run throughout the film.</p>.<p>The film talks about the relationship between the mother and daughter, of how Maya takes charge of situations and more. The film is a story about vigilance, grit and determination about overcoming challenges in life.</p>.<p><strong>How close to Maya are you? </strong></p>.<p>The spirit that Maya has is similar to mine, I identify with it. ‘Mahira’ means one who is resilient, strong and persistent. This spoke to me. I am definitely not the Maya you see on the screen. She is a completely different person. She is less expressive. Yet, somehow, we are similar.</p>.<p><strong>What was the process of preparation like?</strong></p>.<p>I trained for around two and a half months at Chetan D’Souza’s Chaos Faktory. I practiced all the stunts that were needed there, including mixed martial arts. On particularly vigorous days, I trained for more than eight hours.</p>.<p>I did the scenes without body doubles, ropes or safety gears. ‘Mahira’ is a very important film to me; I have put in a lot of efforts into it.</p>.<p>Age and agility are closely connected. Training in my 40s for a character like this needed a lot of determination from my side. There were times I would go back home with sore muscles during the training. I loved the training and I train frequently when I’m in Bengaluru. </p>.<p><strong>How was your chemistry with the cast of the film?</strong></p>.<p>It was a blessing to work with the cast of this film. I have always been lucky when it came to the sort of people I work with. Raj B Shetty is an angel and I could say this a 1,000 times.</p>.<p>He is also from Mangaluru and is a darling, I had a lot of fun working with him. </p>.<p>Chaitra, who played my daughter in the film, and I share a beautiful bond. Our chemistry worked well too.</p>
