Actress Shwetha Srivatsav likes to believe that she’s a girl from another world. She’s rooted yet loves going against the grain. Shwetha was among the handful of actresses who didn’t hide her pregnancy and plunged into the big, bad world of cinema post marriage. She broke the rules, and made audiences yearn for her post her second flick Simple Aagi Ondh Love Story. The Bengaluru hudugi is back at it again— with her forthcoming flick Rahadhaari, a thriller where she plays the role of a top cop. In a candid chat, she divulges all the deets.
Her upcoming flick is special for multiple reasons. Post sabbatical, Shwetha is grateful to have bagged a meaty role. “Once I got pregnant, and I made an official announcement, people were shook. I was okay working during pregnancy, but people shut me down. I had no choice but stay at home. This offer came after 9 others, so it’s special because I felt the role was written keeping a female protagonist in mind. Heroines don’t always get to choose their importance, so when I read the script I wondered if it was written for a male actor. I’d like to take this role as a top cop as an honour.”
Shwetha will start working from the first week of November and is unperturbed by the gap. “I’ve been very choosy. Not like I always got the best scripts, but I never said yes to whatever came my way,” begins Shwetha, who further adds that she’s always made calculative moves. “I’ve been selective about the people I work it. Of course, it wasn’t easy as I decided into a venture into cinema after marriage at a time when a non-single status was perceived as a taboo for heroines.”
Shwetha is all of three films old, but she has amassed critical acclaim and a humongous fan following on social media and off it. “I think my daughter Ashmitha is a bigger star (on social media),” she chuckles. Speaking off what makes her tick on the dotted line. “I’ve been attracted to anything that’s revolutionary, maybe cause personally I’ve always done what I wanted to do. I’ve been fortunate enough to sign films that have made an impact. My 2nd film, Simple Aagi Ondh Love Story was a turning point because it gave out the message that newcomers too can charm the audience and get the numbers at the BO.”
But, soon after, Shwetha went low-key. “My role was quite rewarding. Since I gave a huge hit, but I became very choosy. I realised that filmmakers wanted to typecast me – they wanted to play it safe. And, I knew I couldn’t stagnate at this juncture. After doing such a hit, my opinion matters the most to me.”
Speaking of what’s next, she has a message for all her filmi folks. “I don’t just want to be a subjective desire. To say no to offers is very difficult, but I am going to hold my ground and only take on offers that will make me and my family proud,” she signs off.
