After delivering award-winning performances in her last two Tamil films, Paradesi and Kaaviya Thalaivan, Vedhika went on a strange break of almost five years before returning with Muni 4: Kanchana 3 that got released on Friday. “I am careful about doing good films, and take only projects I believe in. The roles I’m doing in other languages are performance-oriented too. But yes, I did miss speaking in Tamil, and I’m glad Kanchana 3 happened,” says a smiling Vedhika, who promises that we will get to see her more frequently in Tamil cinema here on.
Interestingly, the first part of the Muni franchise, Muni (2007) also featured her. “Muni is close to my heart. Apart from being a hit, the film created the horror-comedy trend in the industry,” she says. “We didn’t know it would become such a huge franchise and we are happy that all the films have turned out to be successful.” Though she’s not been a part of the last two films in the franchise, she’s managed to watch both. “I thoroughly enjoyed them. These are great films that leave us tottering between fear and laughter. It’s not an easy feat at all, and this series pulls that off effortlessly. All credit should go to Lawrence’s vision.”
Unlike the first part in which she was the only female lead, Kanchana 3 has her sharing screen space with Oviyaa and Nikki Tamboli. “I have done many films in which I was the only female lead. I have also done performance-oriented roles too. Now, I’m at a juncture where I can afford to experiment,” she says. “Kanchana 3 is a multistarrer, and on the sets, we bonded as a family. It was great fun spending time with Oviyaa, Nikki, Devadarshini, and of course, Kovai Sarala ma’am.” It’s been 12 years since she last collaborated with Raghava Lawrence. “The success of these films proves the potential of Lawrence.
It must be challenging to be an actor, producer, director and choreographer, at the same time. He does them all with ease while maintaining his cool. Only a strong person can juggle so many responsibilities at the same time.” Known for her dancing abilities, Vedhika is glad that the track, Oru Sattai Oru Balpam, has been garnering good numbers on YouTube. “The song has been trending and the comments expressing happiness about my return to this franchise, are heartwarming. All this appreciation reminds me of how well-received my first song with Lawrence — Suru Suru Susuravarthi from Muni — was.”
I ask her about picking a commercial film like Kanchana, after two widely appreciated roles in films like Paradesi and Kaaviya Thalaivan. She replies, “I don’t make that distinction between films. If I like the team and my character, I just go for it. I believe in enjoying the process more than the outcome, and if the former happens, the latter is usually guaranteed.” She turns a bit pensive when reflecting upon her choice of films. “Films choose you; you don’t choose them. Irrespective of the language of the film, the craft remains the same. Only the teams differ; thankfully, I have worked with people who have believed in me.” She isn’t a big believer in trends. “Films are not like fashion, to sustain on trends. It is all about a story touching the hearts of the audience. It has to entertain them and connect with them.”
Vedhika is also among the few female actors noted for perfect lip-sync. “Tamil has almost become my mother tongue. I love speaking the language, and I remain enthusiastic about learning it more and more. I feel like I have been speaking Tamil from childhood,” says Vedhika with a laugh.
The actor has a bunch of releases in her kitty. “I’ve got a film with Sai Kumar sir’s son, Aadhi, who is debuting in Tamil. I’ve also got Home Minister in Kannada with Upendra sir. I’m teaming up with Emraan Hashmi for a Hindi film too. Announcements on a few more Tamil films, as I assured you, can be expected soon. The year is looking quite fabulous for me.”