On the screen, Samvrutha Sunil looked realistic as housewife Geetha. The way she handled household chores and talked to her easy going husband Suni (Biju Menon) looked convincing. In brief, she delivered a mature performance in her second innings as actor. Samvrutha, who is back to big screen after a sabbatical of seven years with Sathyam Paranja Viswasikkuvo, says getting into the skin of Geetha was easy.
“Like her, I am a housewife, and was familiar with her situations. If it was before marriage I did this character, then, I could have prepared for it,” she says. “Moreover, the movie was shot at a partially-built house in a village. After spending a few days there with the neighbours, I got accustomed to their lifestyle. That made my transformation easier,” recalls Samvrutha, who is settled in the U.S. with her husband and their son.
When one takes a break, life changes; one has to adopt a new routine. In her opinion, the seven years have made her more mature, and that reflects in her acting.
“Many who watched Sathyam Paranja Viswasikkuvo have said that I delivered a different, matured acting. I think that comes from the life I led in the past seven years where I could meet people from different walks of life. It moulded my personality and perspectives about life,” says Samvrutha, cherishing those days. “Staying away from movies at the peak of my career was a conscious decision. When I took that break, I was sure that I wanted a peaceful life. I wanted to enjoy personal life. When we live in a place like the US, we have more privacy and freedom. The initial few years were pretty happening. I attempted whatever I couldn’t explore so far. Like a freed bird, I roamed around visiting places and doing everything I loved. When my son came, life began revolving around him. Now, my happiness lies in spending time with him.”
Her second innings began with the reality show Nayika Nayakan, as a judge. “Back then, I used to say that I didn’t miss movies. The show reminded me how much people loved me as an actor. That is when the missing element popped up in my mind. Once I completed the 15-day schedule of Sathyam Paranja Viswasikkuvo, I confirmed that I really miss it!” she smiles.
In the movie, directed by G. Prajith and written by national award-winning writer Sajeev Pazhoor, she appears in a deglamorised role. “I have not felt that Geetha is deglamorised. She is beautiful in her own way.” Samvrutha says, while ruminating about the comeback, she was not concerned about the beauty aspect of the character. All she wanted was to relaunch her career with a good team. “I just wanted to know that the movie was in good hands — that it had a director and a writer who would portray the character well on screen, and a producer who would back the team,” says Samvrutha, who found all these elements in Sathyam Paranja... “I was also happy to share the screen space with a brilliant actor like Biju chettan. When I talked to Sajeev ettan (writer), I realised the potential of the movie. I felt lucky to work, even if it’s a character role, in such a movie. So, I happily committed to it. The feedback I am receiving post the release proves that I was right,” she says.
Samvrutha does not hide the fact that she was tense to face the camera after the sabbatical, because she had been closely observing changes in movies over these years. “I knew that Malayalam cinema had become more realistic. I was apprehensive about the new acting style and making. But, on the sets, they made me comfortable by meticulously briefing each scene to me. I understood that they had a clear idea about the character and the movie. That was comforting.”
And, she sees the new wave of change — both in terms of content and functioning of the industry — as positive. When it comes to content, she feels it is the approach towards the subject that has changed. “Some areas remain the same, but how cinema is viewed or made has changed,” she says. “It has been proved that an interesting two-and-a-half-hour movie can be derived from a simple thread. Also, characters those are similar to people whom we meet in our daily life, have begun to foray into screen.”
She is also happy about the body positivity that is seen in Malayalam cinema these days. Just like the character Chinnu in Thamasha, Samvrutha too had been a prey of social media bullying. She feels bullying happens because social media has evolved as a platform for people to say anything. Although she feels that positive concepts in films can make people rethink, she is not sure if it will completely change a person’s outlook. “Cinema may change them to some extent, but not completely. People with such negative mindsets are unlikely to change much no matter what we convey to them through films,” she opines. Ask her about the rise of women in the industry and formation of WCC, she says, “Worldwide, it is being discussed. If a group of people have come out to support it here, that is definitely a positive action,” she says.
Will she continue doing movies? “I want to. I haven’t committed to new projects so far. I may not do back to back movies. Let’s see how the situation turns out,” she sums up.
