‘Gimmick’ opened doors for Punjabi actor Ronica

The feedback and appreciation she recieved for her first Kannada film pushed her to work harder

I didn’t know what to do when I got an offer for ‘Ramta Jogi’, a Punjabi film produced by actor-director Sunny Deol, which was my first project.

I was in college, when I got a call from my uncle saying a director wanted to meet me in connection with his upcoming film. Though I had no idea what to expect, I followed my uncle’s advice and went to Mumbai where I did a look-test. We shot my first scene the same day.

I was very nervous. One cannot learn how to act, acting should come from within you. Soon, ‘Ramta Jogi’ released and people appreciated my performance.

When I saw myself on the big screen for the first time, I knew this is what I wanted to do. The feedback and appreciation I received pushed me to work much harder.

After the film, I completed my studies and was offered ‘Gimmick’, which marks my entry into Sandalwood. My life has changed drastically after that.

Naganna, the director of ‘Gimmick’, wanted to cast me after he saw my previous film. The moment I heard I was going to act with Ganesh, I was super-excited as my first film was inspired by his film ‘Cheluvina Chittara’. I had watched all of his films and was a huge fan of his work. I couldn’t refuse the offer in any way.

Shooting for the horror-comedy was a phenomenal experience. The team was great and Ganesh sir helped me a lot. He’s a sweetheart and was extremely patient with me. The director, Naganna sir, is every actor’s dream director. He would help me with the smallest nuances of the roles.

The film was shot in Bengaluru and Sri Lanka. There were several memorable incidents on the sets. During a particular scene, some goons were chasing me and I had to push them away. When I turned, I fell and hurt my knee and head. For a second, everyone was silent but I was so embarrassed that I started laughing. It was a funny moment.

I felt like a student on the sets and often the teammates would make jokes about my Kannada, though in good humour. I would end up saying words which would mean different things.
The entire experience was so positive; I would love to work with the same team and in Sandalwood soon again. Having said that, compared to the Punjabi film industry, language was a big challenge here. The working style is also different in Sandalwood but it is a welcoming industry; movie buffs and the members of the film fraternity are kind and supportive.

But both the industries are extremely professional and fun to work in. Sandalwood is a growing industry and its reach is much wider now.

Ronica Singh, Actor