No more waiting in the wings

Tackling sexism and prepared to play the long game, these female artistes have produced underdog stories that generate hopes of a paradigm shift, writes Vivek M V

Aishwarya Rangarajan

Ganavi Laxman. CREDIT: NITHESH NAIDU

In the male-dominated Kannada film industry (KFI), women have shown that sticking to their guns is the only way out. Tackling sexism and prepared to play the long game, some artistes have generated hopes of a paradigm shift. Gifted talents often get weighed down by the ‘outsider’ tag. Surmounting self-doubts can get tough when the wait for your opportunity gets excruciatingly long.

A strong female representation in all departments of cinema is a must. For that to happen, girls who dream of shining in films need underdog stories for inspiration.

Breaking barriers

Amritha Bhargav, fondly known by her pen name ‘Amri’, was quick to identify what she loved. The youngster dropped out of a BBA degree to follow her heart. “I was always drawn to arts, screen-writing especially,” she says. A female scriptwriter is a rare entity in KFI. What’s commendable is that the Bengaluru girl cracked the tough test of working with Suri, one of the finest directors of the Kannada industry.

Suri’s brilliance lies in his no-holds-barred portrayal of the underworld. So, for the outside world, it’s surprising to expect a woman in a film set that’s filled with hundreds of men with wacky clothes and unkempt hair executing Suri’s maverick ideas.

“I grew up watching gangster flicks of Upendra and Shivarajkumar so I wanted to work in the genre. Naturally, I loved Suri’s film noir works,” she says.

Multiple visits to Suri’s office went in vain. The message was clear for Amritha: no woman had worked in his sets and it would stay the same. Amritha dug in and showed genuine interest, forcing Suri to discuss the matter with her parents Komalavalli and Kesari Samachar, both teachers.

“My parents backed me and eventually, Suri sir roped me in for Popcorn Monkey Tiger (2020),” she recollects. Talent, and not gender, decides one’s future, says Amritha, who is sowing the seeds of her directorial debut.

“It didn’t matter to me that I was the only woman on the sets. Suri sir filled confidence in me. Now I am writing the script for it,” she beams.

Patience pays off

Ganavi Laxman’s face is arresting. It can fit the bill for emotionally-charged, intense roles, like her latest Kannada release Hero. Critics have predicted a bright future for Ganavi, whose morale had hit rock bottom when she was picked as the lead in TN Seetharam’s Kannada TV soap Magalu Janaki. The serial’s success was a validation of her immense self-belief. “After completing my degree, I had decided I will not seek my parent’s support to build my career,” says Ganavi. With big acting dreams, Ganavi landed in Bengaluru seven years ago from Hosahalli, a small village in Chikkamagaluru.

“I was a dancer and acting was alien to me. Our Theatre’s Vivek Vijayakumaran shaped my acting journey,” she recollects.

Overcoming the crushing despair of several rejections was difficult for her. “I got rejected for the lead role of Kirik Party (the 2016 blockbuster). I attended 50-60 auditions just to get stronger and accept rejection. Today I have starred opposite the director (Rishab Shetty) of Kirik Party and that feels great,” she explains.

Stereotyping can erode women’s self-respect, she says. “Many told me the industry isn’t for women. It’s a tough world. I was short-tempered so I tamed myself, just enough to focus on proving my mettle. It’s all about waiting for your time,” she says.

New kid on the block

Once you promise, you must deliver. Aishwarya Rangarajan was three years old when she was introduced to Carnatic music by guru Usha Jagathrakshakan. Barely 12, she sang for the great Hamsalekha for Appu Pappu (2012). Today, her latest song for Kannada film Roberrt, the Darshan-blockbuster which released recently, has crossed seven million views on YouTube.

“To get so much love from people is great. However, I have a long way to go,” says the singer who hails from a non-filmy background. Aishwarya further honed her skills under Dr Suchethan Rangaswamy. The MBA student is one of the promising singers of the Kannada film industry today. The Sa Re Ga Ma Pa (Kannada) finalist in 2016 acted in the hit Kannada soap Magalu Janaki. “I still get some acting offers but I am inclined more towards music,” she says. She broke the language barrier and finished second runner-up in the Tamil version of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

Facing challenges is inevitable and success is in one’s own hand, she opines. “Sometimes your voice isn’t retained for a song. You feel sad but that’s how the industry works. You have to keep trying,” says Aishwarya who has sung in films of A-Listers like Upendra and ‘Duniya’ Vijay.

“As an independent artiste, I need to create my own quality content. That’s how you get chances to collaborate with the best,” she signs off.