Malavika Mohanan has quietly, and then spectacularly, carved a space for herself across Indian cinema. Born in Kerala and raised in Mumbai, the daughter of cinematographer K U Mohanan, she grew up around films but chose to find her own spotlight. From her Malayalam debut in Pattam Pole to acclaimed turns in Beyond the Clouds and big-ticket Tamil entertainers like Master, Malavika blends poise with ambition. Effortlessly stylish yet refreshingly candid, she represents a new-age leading lady, grounded, articulate and unafraid to evolve. She was recently seen in The RajaSaab, which marked her Telugu debut. She talks about working across different languages and how she’s not an industry kid at all in a candid interview.
Your father, K U Mohanan is a successful cinematographer. Growing up, did you ever visit him on the sets?
I did not visit his sets very often. I probably visited him three or four times. I am not an industry kid at all. I never socialised with people from the industry while growing up. My father would do his job, but our lives were far removed from the industry. A lot of people assume that I was associated with the industry from a young age. The reality is that I grew up far away from that world. My father did his job for a living and also because he was passionate about cinematography as an artiste, but that does not mean I was a part of that aspect of his life. It’s not equivalent to being a star kid.
No, not really. My father has always been quite okay with me not being a part of the film world at such a young age. He would go and do his work and then come back home. We never mixed too much with his work, as he is not somebody who would go to parties either. He never took us there. It wasn’t a conscious decision. But
I get asked a lot about being a film kid. People think it has been easy for me. I tell them that being
a cinematographer’s kid and being a star kid are two different things. They don’t come with the same perks.
I wanted to be a documentary filmmaker for a long time. I have been interested in deep-diving into cultures, people, places and lesser-known things. Being a documentary filmmaker is a good way to tap into that.
You have also studied marketing.
I studied media in college. I studied advertising and marketing. So instinctively, when I work on a film, I try to delve into the marketing strategies. I try to give suggestions tactfully. I offer suggestions where they are welcome.
What took you so long to make your debut in Telugu?
I was supposed to make my Telugu debut with Vijay Deverakonda. I had signed on to a film with him five years back. It had a lovely story. My character was a pianist. The guy was a biker in the story. They would meet under certain circumstances and see where life takes them. But Vijay decided to move forward with another movie, and this was put on the shelf. It did not work out at that point. With cinema, you can never predict what works out and what does not. At one point, you are bummed out, but I have always seen that something even better happens.
What were you curious about when you signed on to star in The RajaSaab?
I was waiting for the right film to make my Telugu debut. A lot of offers had been coming in, but
I wanted to make my debut with a big star. When I got a call for The RajaSaab, I got to know that Prabhas would be starring in it. I thought to myself, this is as big as it gets. I met the director, Maruthi, and heard the narration. I was pleasantly surprised with my character, Bhairavi. In these A-lister films, you don’t usually get a very solid female part. I always want to play characters with well-defined arcs. Sometimes, you are only there as the male lead’s love interest, appearing in a few scenes and a couple of songs. But that’s it. However, I realised during the narration that the character had some really cool scenes. I realised that I could explore different facets. I could nurture my skill sets and do fun things. I had to keep in mind that I would be working with one of India’s biggest superstars. So signing on was a no-brainer for me.
You once revealed that you missed out on Salaar 2?
I had received a call from Prashanth Neel sir. But the film didn’t work out for me at that point because of certain reasons. Thinking about it, it is very uncanny that I am making my debut in Telugu with Prabhas sir. What are the odds? It could have been Allu Arjun or Mahesh Babu sir. But it had to be Prabhas.
Prabhas is referred to as an endearing co-star by those who’ve worked with him.
Everybody already knows about his love for sending food. But what I love about him is that he is very warm and sweet. I had never met him before the first day on the The RajaSaab set. We don’t have any common social circles either. The Telugu film industry is completely new territory for me. But he was sweet and friendly from the very first day. He is a good conversationalist. He kept making me feel comfortable. We discussed costumes and hairstyling as well. He could have just exchanged pleasantries, but he made sure to have proper conversations with me during filming.
You have been a part of box-office hits like Master and Petta. There’s also Yudhra, which did not do well. Do these numbers affect you at all?
Initially, the numbers did affect me. As an actor, when you are experiencing this world for the first time, you take everything to heart, which I think is very natural. But after you’ve seen a few Fridays, you move on. Like you said,
I have seen films that have made Rs 100 crores at the box office. They have been all-time blockbusters in certain industries. Then you see films that don’t do well. Does that upset you? Of course, it does. But I am at a point where I move on from it pretty quickly too.
There has been a lot of talk about work-life balance amongst actors. What is your take on it?
I don’t think there is much scope for work–life balance with the kind of hours we put in. I have grown up with a father who would tell me that a 12-hour shift means there will be a couple of hours before and after that for preparation. Twelve hours would only be the shooting time. You are also talking to the team after the shoot is over. You are discussing upcoming agendas and plans. So it stretches to 15-16 hours for most people. Having said that, I feel that a lesser number of hours enables you to have that balance and also give your best at work. After a few hours of working, my brain clocks out. It gets saturated. I give my best when I am there for a shorter duration. So our industries could do better in that regard.
Did you ever feel like not getting up in the morning?
My biggest challenge is that whenever I’m working, be it in Hyderabad, Kochi or Chennai, being away from home for an extended period gets hard. It takes a toll. It makes me feel uprooted if it goes on for too long. I miss coming back home to my loved ones after a long day. It gets very dull. I don’t like coming back to an empty hotel room. It takes a toll on me. You need a sense of community and family. I get blurry when I don’t have that. I need my loved ones around. But the funny part is, I won’t even chill with them when I am home. I might be in my room doing my own thing but I need my people around.
With OTT platforms and social media changing how audiences consume content, do you think the lines between regional industries have blurred?
With the rise of OTT, we saw a shift in the consumption of cinema. For instance, if there was a good Malayalam film earlier, you would have watched it in theatres or rented a DVD. But social media has changed things. It is easy to spread word of mouth. Also, you can watch a good film on OTT. Now, films in every language work. Makers have a wider reach. So it is an exciting time to be an actor and do good work in India. KGF came out of Kannada, Baahubali and RRR came out of Telugu. Fahadh Faasil has become a star beyond just Kerala in the last few years. Everyone loves Fafa! Every industry has seen a breakthrough. It is because of the reach and awareness we have today.
What are you up to these days?
My last release before The RajaSaab, Hridayapoorvam, was with Mohanlal sir. My next release is Sardar 2 with Karthi sir. It is a Tamil film. I have a lot more exciting projects lined up, which will be announced in due course.
Also Read: Malavika Mohanan, Kayadu Lohar: Mollywood Leading Ladies Foraying Into Tollywood
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
