In a lot of her movies, be it an city rom-com or a con-drama, Ritu Varma has enacted characters with a voice, and by no means thought-about pushovers. But, when director Hasith Goli gave her an in depth narration of Swag, she was stunned. Swag, the Telugu movie releasing on October 4, is brief for ‘Swaganika vamsam’; the story that unfolds over totally different timelines has Ritu in a twin function – as queen Rukmini Devi up to now, and civil engineer Anubhuti within the current.
Settling down for this interview in Hyderabad after getting back from a taking pictures schedule in Rajahmundry, Ritu says, “I favored Hasith’s first movie, Raja Raja Chora, and thought he would narrate a romcom. Nothing ready me for what I used to be going to listen to.” She describes Swag as an entertaining satire on gender dynamics, inheritance and lineage.
Satire on gender equations
The story which touches upon ideas of matrilineal and patrilineal societies, Ritu explains, gave her the scope to do one thing she had not finished earlier than. “It felt like a breath of recent air and got here to me after I was desirous to signal a Telugu movie.”
As Rukmini Devi, she portrays a domineering queen who doesn’t take kindly to male heirs. Hasith gave her just a few references of queens of India and she or he additionally keenly noticed Ramya Krishna as Sivagami in Baahubali. “We labored on Rukmini Devi’s look and physique language. She is dressed regally, with jewelry, has a unibrow and wears colored lenses that heighten her authoritative manner.”
For civil engineer Anubhuti, Ritu sports activities a tanned look with messy garments and unkempt hair, provided that she spends appreciable time close to building websites. “Anubhuti is fiery and asserts herself when she comes throughout any injustice. Each these characters are far faraway from who I’m in actual life. I’m all for equality, however I’m tender spoken and quiet.”
Swag pitches Ritu in a movie with Sree Vishnu after their respective debuts as solo leads within the 2013 movie Prema Ishq Kaadhal. In Swag, their characters are usually not in a romantic relationship. “This additionally got here as a shock after I heard the story,” she recollects.
Straddling two languages
Ritu was final seen in Telugu cinema in Varudu Kavalenu and Oke Oka Jeevitham (Kanam in Tamil). She seems to be at Swag as an entertaining but experimental movie that can assist her make her presence felt. “Up to now, I’m touched when individuals come up and speak to me, at taking pictures spots or when I’m travelling, generally recalling scenes from Pelli Choopulu, Varudu… or my Tamil movie Kannum Kannum Kollai Adithal (Kanulu Kanulanu Dochayante). I by no means deliberate to be an actress and I’m grateful for all this recognition.”
Ritu has featured in Telugu and Tamil movies, and says, “It’s a good area to be. I cannot declare that I get too many scripts; it’s nonetheless a problem to seek out fascinating movies. However I’m grateful that filmmakers consider me for sure characters.” Having acted in Nitham Oru Vaanam, Fashionable Love Hyderabad and Fashionable Love Chennai, she prefers to learn scripts to grasp the thought technique of her characters.
Within the case of Swag, the detailed backstories and discussions with Hasith Goli helped. “Hasith is educated and gave me extra info than I requested for. Swag has been made on a bigger scale than Raja Raja Chora and he dealt with the movie with confidence and beauty. After the shoot, I might go house happy at having finished good work. It concerned a number of unlearning and studying and I’ve blissful recollections of working on this movie.”
Digital area
Ritu has additionally been filming for a Telugu internet collection for Disney Hotstar, particulars of that are nonetheless underneath wraps. “It’s a few lady on a journey of self-discovery,” is all that she will reveal now. Arising subsequent are two Telugu movies, one an entertainer and the opposite, a homicide thriller.
Since she states that she by no means deliberate to be an actress, I ask if she ever puzzled what course her life may need taken had she not entered cinema. “I’ve not given it a lot thought. I’ve an engineering diploma however cinema is what I really like. Initially, I had no long-term plans however steadily, I started having fun with performing and have become enthusiastic about my work.” When not in entrance of the digicam, she spends her time portray or studying (she mentions Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Forest of Enchantments and The Palace of Illusions amongst her favorite reads). “Studying and portray assist me escape actuality for some time and I take pleasure in that too.”
Printed – September 30, 2024 04:48 pm IST