Kavya Madhavan says she abhors living out of a suitcase anymore. “I spend years doing that and did roles that were too maturated for my age. Now, I pick only meaningful and meaty roles,” says she. So, when legendary director Adoor Gopalakrishnan invited her to play the lead in his next Pinneyum - which is happening after a gap of eight years - Kavya says she didn’t have much to ponder on. “I didn’t ask for a script or an one-liner. There were no discussions or references. That is the amount of trust I place on Adoor sir and his talent,” says Kavya.
As Pinneyum, where she is cast opposite Dileep, hits the marquee next week, Kavya says her second stint with Adoor
Gopalakrishnan was a gratifying experience. She plays Devi, a school teacher, the kind-of-character one always identifies Kavya with. “Pinneyum is a family drama, but a love story at the core. Dileep plays my husband. The movie has the feel and flavor of rustic Kerala, that has been missing onscreen for sometime,” says the actor.
The movie, which began rolling on May 11, brings back the old-world charm and she says even her character is quite raw. “Everything from my character to the approach of filmmaking is raw. Adoor sir is someone who prefers his artists perform with spontaneity . He would be delighted to give a script if we ask, but we are absolutely sure what he has on mind is the best. When he offered me the role, he told me Devi was someone who never cared about her looks and it would be better if I didn’t stick to usual beauty routines. Other than that, I was pretty fresh minded when I landed on the sets,” says Kavya.
She loves that spontaneity too. “I enjoy it. He explains us the sequence that will be shot that day and we just have to play it out. I find it challenging yet great, but there might be actors who might find it a bit of a task,” says the actor whose first movie with Adoor was his Naalu Pennungal in 2007.
So, has the crackling onscreen chemistry she shares with Dileep helped the movie? “We have done a lot of movies together. And, in Pinneyum, Dileep has a very serious character, a change from the bubbly persona that one usually tags him with,” says Kavya.
But, why is she super-selective these days? Kavya says rarely does any role interest her. “I just don’t feel like committing to anything that has been coming my way. I no longer has the need to register my presence doing roles that has no meat to it. Then, right now I am nurturing the entrepreneur side of mine. Lakshya, the online retail clothing venture, run by my family is growing and I need to devote a chunk of my time for it. And, I am not averse to taking up roles that are nice,” says Kavya. So, what’s next? “I am doing a Jeethu Joseph project which hasn’t been named yet. It is a good role,” winds up Kavya Madhavan.