Dream debut in Mollywood: Varalaxmi Sarathkumar

She speaks pretty fast in a melodious way. Actress Varalaxmi, daughter of actor Sarathkumar, who is foraying into Mollywood through the Mammootty-starrer Kasaba, smiles when she recollects Mammootty’s advice to her while rendering dialogues. “The only thing he kept telling me  on the sets was that I speak very fast,” she laughs. “He would tell me ‘say slowly’.”

Kasaba is Varalaxmi’s first Malayalam movie. “My character’s name is Kamala. She is a bold, fierce, and stubborn woman who would always get what she wants. It took me a few days to understand the character and say yes to Nithin, the director,” says Varalaxmi.

According to her, the character Kamala is not a typical heroine material. “In a normal scenario, the heroine will fall in love with the hero; there will be romance, songs, and dance in the movie. Kamala is different from them. She has got a negative shade.”

She is happy to debut alongside Mammootty in Malayalam, with whom her father acted in Pazhassi Raja. “I always wanted to be a part of Malayalam movie industry because it has got lovely scripts. Eventually, I got the correct entry. I can’t ask for a better launch.”

Was she nervous to act with Mammootty? “When I started shooting, I wasn’t nervous. But, I was extremely nervous during my first scene with Mammootty sir,” recalls Varalaxmi. “You have grown up watching Mammootty sir and you aspired to be like him. It is a beautiful feeling to share screen space with such a person. But obviously, you will be a little nervous. I have big dialogues with Mammootty sir. It was wonderful working with him.”

Varalaxmi had no shooting sequences in Kerala. Her part was shot in Kolar, the border of Karnataka, and Palani. She had a great time working with them. “A lot of fun moments were there,” says Varalaxmi recollecting how everyone including Mammootty encouraged her to try different kinds of biriyani. “The happiest part was that the director allowed me to eat anything I love to. He was happy about me putting on some weight,” she giggles.

She had no qualms in delivering dialogues in Malayalam. “I used to learn my dialogues by heart on the previous night. I don’t like anyone prompting for me. It was a tad difficult, sometimes tongue-twisting. But, I preferred learning them by heart.” Kasaba is Varalaxmi’s sixth movie. She launched her career with the Tamil movie Podaa Podi in 2012. Later she was seen in Maanikya (Kannada), Tharai Thappattai (Tamil), Nibunan (Tamil) and Madha Gaja Raja (Tamil).

“Acting just happened to me. The script of Podaa Podi was beautiful and hence I couldn’t reject it,” says the student of Anupam Kher’s acting school. Varalaxmi realised her heart belongs to movies after doing Podaa Podi. “I understood acting is something that I enjoy much,” she reveals. Varalaxmi was a dancer before venturing into movies.

How much has her father inspired her? “I learnt discipline and professionalism from my father. He doesn’t interfere with my film choices. They brought me up as an independent person. And, they know I wouldn’t do anything wrong,” she says. “He was happy about me being a part of Kasaba. He said I will have a good time,” she adds.

Has she taken acting cues from her father’s on-screen characters? “No. I have my own style. I don’t copy anybody,” says Varalaxmi, who keeps her characters in Podaa Podi and Tharai Thappattai close to her heart. “Tharai Thappattai brought my acting talent to the fore,” she says. “I have been praised for that movie all over the world, something which I will never forget. I owe that to Bala sir. Nithin invited me to Kasaba seeing my performance in Tharai Thappattai. It was fantastic working with him. I am grateful to him for giving me Kamala.”

How does she choose films? “First comes the script, then the reach of the character. It should stay in someone’s mind. I like my characters to make a mark like Suravali in Tharai Thappattai. It should be challenging and people should enjoy my work.”