Asha Sharath, obviously, has an eye for variations. Or else, how could one explain her choice of characters. While she plays a Muslim woman in Viswasapoorvam Mansoor, she is a cop in her Telugu debut Bhagmathi and a poet in Pavizhamalli. Quiz her, Asha says: “My family and personal affairs give me little time for movies. So, I want to choose sensible and I want only roles that allow me to perform.”
In conversation with Express, the actor opens up about how her career in Malayalam movie and her quest for meaty roles.
You have ‘Viswasapoorvam Mansoor’ lined up for release and you sport a never-before-seen look in it.
Yes, I play Fathibee, a Muslim woman. She is someone very relatable, the kind of loving mother we see in Muslim households. I have been a lot to Kannur and Kozhikode and met women like her who epitomise affection and virtue. So, when director P T Kunhi Mohammed. offered me this role, I could get under the skin quite easily. Besides, what really challenged me is how well fleshed out the character is. It has many shades to it. Kunhi Mohammed has always been known for creating strong woman characters and it is the same in Viswasapoorvam Mansoor too. Not just mine, Zarina Wahab’s character too is well carved.
Tamil actor Gauthami was actually supposed to do the role.
That’s true. The character of Fathibee came to me quite late, after Gauthami couldn’t do it owing to some personal issues. I was thrilled to be doing something so good. Since, I am shuttling between Dubai and India, I only take up characters that are strong and performance-oriented. This one satisfied me and I am pleased to have done it.
You will get back together with Mammootty for the Shyamdhar project.
Yes. This is for the second time that we are being paired up for a movie. First, it was for Varsham. Somehow people loved our combination as it looked convincing on screen. This project is a good one and the team hasn’t titled it yet. We hope to name it in a week.
‘Pavizhamalli’ will have you playing Sugathakumari while ‘Bhagmathi’ will mark your Telugu debut
It is an ambitious project and I am reading the script. The movie will track her life, her social activities and perspectives. I will be meeting Sugathakumari teacher soon. The shoot will start in September. I am looking forward for it. But, my character in Bhagmathi is very different. After Drishyam, this movie will have me playing the role of a cop. But, not like the one we saw in Drishyam. Here, I am a CBI sleuth. In fact, Tabu was suposed to do the role and it came to me. The shoot for the movie is over and it is a female-oriented movie and Anushka Shetty plays the lead in it. It is a bilingual project and will be released in both Tamil and Telugu.