I was initially charmed by the fame: Ananya

Actor Ananya Kashyap will be soon be seen as Ahana Kashyap in the upcoming film ‘Mundina Nildana’. Portraying a carefree millennial, Ananya says she enjoyed working on the role. She believes that it is her go-get attitude and the positive vibes from director Vinay Bharadwaj that convinced her about the project. 

In a candid chat with Metrolife, she talks about her stay in Sandalwood, her role in ‘Mundina Nildana’ and more. 

What brought you to the industry?

I knew I wanted to be an actor since childhood. I pursued theatre as a child. I knew I wanted to be in the industry but didn’t know how to. It was the fame connected to the film industry which charmed me initially but I fell deeply in love with the craft of acting itself. 

Theatre and films are a different ball game. Your thoughts.

When on stage, a performance gives instant satisfaction and the results and feedback are immediate, while one has to wait for months or sometimes even years to know more about a film.  

How has your journey been in the industry?

I am a few films old. As a child artiste, I worked in ‘Halliya Makkalu’ which was about child marriage. I portrayed the younger version of Harriprriya in ‘Neer Dose’ and play the protagonist in ‘Neeru Thandavaru’, a film about water crisis in northern Karnataka.

There’s a lot to learn from the industry and I want to keep going. 

‘Mundina Nildana’ is your first lead role in a feature film. Tell us about the film. 

A common friend referred me to the film’s director Vinay Bharadwaj. He was very humble when I spoke to him. When I went to meet him, he narrated the whole story to
me before a screen test or audition. Later, he sent me the scenes that I had to do and after I sent them to him, he was convinced about me. He liked my performance and I love his confidence. The film was meant to happen. 

One reason you wanted to be a part of the film.  

Apart from the wonderful team of the film, I loved the fact that it dealt with millennials. There are several people who don’t understand the present generation; there are many in my own family. This pushed me to work in the film. I wanted people to understand that it was just a different approach to things which made millennials different.  

I am very close to my role, just that she is a bit more flirtatious and welcoming. Ahana and I are quite similar; it’s like I play myself in the film. At most times I didn’t even feel like I was slipping in and out of character. It was quite spontaneous and easy. 

The ‘Manase Maye’ video song from the film received more than 2 lakh views in a few days. Tell us about the experience. 

I am trained in Bharathanatyam, learning kathak and have done a few contemporary dance workshops. Dancing for the video was quite interesting. I have some people who give the bluntest feedback possible, and even they were happy with the song. 

The audio of the song was excellent. Most of my friends are fans of Masala Coffee and the amalgamation of Masala Coffee and the Kannada film industry was much appreciated. The choreographer is Vishwa Kiran. He had come to Natana, the theatre group I was acting with, 15 years ago. (Smiles) Who knew that I would get a chance to work with him in a movie years later?

Does every actress need to know how to dance?

No. It all depends on the role. Dancing is more than just steps, it adds rhythm to your life.