Jyothika Saravanan is one of the most sought-after actresses in the South Indian film industry. With her effortless acting chops, she has won multiple awards and accolades. Apart from Tamil films, Jyothika has worked in Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi films. Though she is a popular star in the South, Jyothika’s acting career began in Bollywood. In 1998, Jyothika made her acting debut in Priyadarshan’s Hindi film, Doli Saja Ke Rakhna. She later went on to star in her first Tamil film, Vaali, which was followed by some successful films like Kushi, Poovellam Un Vasam, Kaakha Kaakha, Chandramukhi, Mozhi, and many more. 27 years later, Jyothika has made a comeback to the Hindi film industry with her OTT series Dabba Cartel.
You are back after 27 years. What took so long for the comeback and has the landscape changed since your debut film in 1998?
My first film didn’t do well and that marks a territory for you. So, I drifted towards South, where I did some extraordinary projects and doubted if I would have had a chance to do them in Hindi. It’s been two years since I returned to the Hindi screens, and I am seeing a lot of offers coming my way that are strong female-led narratives. There is an absolute growth in that sense, since now as women we are headlining projects, and those stories are acceptable. It’s not imperative that you need a male to lead the story and that is a good development.
Dabba Cartel, a women-led crime thriller, sees you as Varuna, a former finance head at a pharmaceutical company whose marriage is not going well. Her’s is the story of most women, who put their ambitions and achievements on the back burner in marriage. Did she resonate with you at a personal level?
The personal part would be that I too was working, but post-marriage I did take a gap, but got back to my career. Also, my husband (Suriya) is always very supportive of my decisions, as well as encouraging towards my career. However, I resonated with the character because a lot of my friends and people I know have been in Varuna’s shoes, and so are a lot of women out there. I could empathise and feel close to the character, but yes I did take inspiration from one of my friends, who I felt was exactly in Varuna’s shoes. So, when I approached the character, it was imperative to make her express herself through her eyes. Even though she puts up a fake facade that she is okay, her eyes say exactly the opposite. It is very tough to portray these characters because they are very close to real-life people, and you have to be convincing so that they see themselves in that person.
What was it like to share screen space with Shabana Azmi?
I was intimidated by her presence, and there is also an element of respect involved. You tend to keep a distance and try to impress an accomplished actor like her with your every move. But she was the icebreaker on set; her energy was infectious, and she made us all so comfortable. She would praise our shots, correct us if there was a mistake, and constantly motivate and encourage us all. This was a set where women uplifted women.
There is a shift in the industry in terms of narratives for women and women are in a position where they are making choices. But it remains a long road ahead for women in cinema; what are your thoughts?
The South gave me some of the most powerful screen characters. Yes, I do feel for women it has been a journey of breaking stereotypes on screen, especially when they see the character in just one shade, this being the good girl. I feel the greys need to be explored more, and the need to accept women being part of genres they weren’t earlier. It is refreshing to see a women-led crime thriller as in Dabba Cartel. We also need the audience to be more open-minded in accepting these themes.