She is said to have been handpicked by Majid Majidi himself as the lead actress for his upcoming movie, Beyond the Clouds. What’s interesting is that she reportedly replaced Deepika Padukone in the movie. Malavika Mohanan plays the role of Tara, a young woman accused of attempted murder and in the process, separated from her younger brother Aamir, played by Ishaan Khatter.
This is not Malavika’s first time on the big screen. She made her debut opposite Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan in Pattam Pole (2013) and went on to make a couple more movies after that. “I was very careful about who I wanted to have my Bollywood break with, because your debut really puts you in a certain category or a league. And that sets the tone for everything that is to come,” she says.
Malavika’s role in the movie wasn’t confirmed until the very last minute, to a point where she was still doing look tests at the set, while Ishaan shot his scenes.
Talking to us about her character in the movie, she says that Tara is mature and independent.“In most films, women from that economic background are portrayed as a victim, or someone who needs a husband or a father to depend on. But Tara is cool. She does what she wants to.”
While her debut Malayalam movie was with Dulquer Salmaan, a seasoned actor, here she acts with a debutante. We ask her if there’s any difference and she says that if anything, Ishaan hardly looks like a newcomer. “He has none of that hesitation or self-doubt that most newcomers have. He is so confident and has so much energy, I was actually intimidated by how good he was. And I think on the sets, he’s in his element.”
Working with Majidi has been an enriching experience for the Mumbai-based actress. In addition to being a total disciplinarian, she feels that he is the most sensitive and understanding. “And unlike his soft demeanour, he is actually a lot of fun! Our working dynamics were completely professional. We had to come prepared, learn our lines, be on time and we can’t gossip or small-talk.”
As far as acting was concerned, Malavika says that Majidi pushed her limits. “I remember shooting a monologue in Sambar, Rajasthan. It was crucial because the whole plot of the movie comes through, through this monologue. It is easier to do scenes where you’re just sad or just angry. But when it requires you to be angry and sad at the same time, it’s a tricky emotional graph. I’ve never done an intense role like this before.”
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