Karthika Muralidharan is just one-movie-old, but her perspective on her craft couldn't be clearer. She is quite serious about acting, so it doesn't sound ambiguous when she says she "wants to be identified as an actor and not as a heroine." Naturally, she didn't think twice before taking up the role of Sruthi in Girish Damodar's 'Uncle', where she will share screen space with Mammootty.
She calls the movie a genuine effort. "There is quite a lot to learn from Joy Mathew's script. 'Uncle' tells what can happen to a woman in our society," she adds.The movie deals with the story of a teenage girl and the camaraderie she shares with her father's friend, played by Mammootty. Now, as borderline as this might sound, Karthika says she could relate a lot with Sruthi. "Sruthi is a well-fleshed out character. She is in a constant state of alertness and doubt. This is evident from the way she always clings on to her satchel bag. Being a single woman, Sruthi experiences a lot of harrowing things in her life. It is easy for any girl to get under her skin. That way I could relate a lot to the character," says Karthika.
But, Karthika says she had to struggle in her combination scenes with Mammootty. "I became very friendly with Mammookka and in scenes where I had to antagonise him, it was quite difficult," she says.
'Uncle' also helped Karthika sharpen her skills as an actor. "In many scenes, I had to portray conflicting emotions like trust and panic simultaneously. That can be challenging," she adds.
For Karthika, the days spent shooting for 'Uncle' had been intellectually stimulating, too. "I had to shoot for long hours with Mammookka. He would talk to me about many things like social issues and politics. He even introduced me to good music. That was the same with Joy Uncle too. We would have meaningful discussions about cinema and religion. My stint with 'Uncle' has enriched me in every way," she adds.
Karthika, who flew down to Kochi to dub for her role, says she is balancing her career and studies. "That's one reason why I am not picking up everything that comes my way. And, I don't mind taking it slow. All I want to do is good meaningful cinema," she adds.