BENGALURU : At a time when people go out of their way to brag about their achievements, Madhuri Braganza has been quietly enjoying all the success and positive feedback that her latest Malayalam movie Pathonpatham Noottandu has been getting. Set in 19th century Travancore, the story is based on the life of Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, a warrior who fought against social injustices.
The actor and singer from the city plays the role of Katha, who is one of the main catalysts in the movie. “I am basically the partner of the villain in the movie. It is a negative role but I don’t mind doing such roles at all. It’s all about acting and eliciting emotions with the audience,” explains Braganza, adding that though it is a supporting role, it is an important one. “It’s because I, in a way, am the one who starts all the chaos,” laughs Braganza.
Though the role has a short screentime, Braganza, who was last seen in the Kannada movie Kushka, was ready to take the risk of picking this role because it made sense for her career. “A lot of people used to tell me not to do small roles, and suggested I only do leads at this point in my career. But I don’t want to go by that rule. For example, I have done a film where I had just one song with Mohanlal. Things like this play a pivotal role in one’s career,” says Braganza, who is currently touring for her play Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Apart from the role, an important reason for picking this movie was her keen interest to work with director Vinayan, who has given some unforgettable movies. “The main attraction for me was working with director Vinayan. I was willing to see how he directs me as an actor. I knew I would learn a lot. Since it was on such a big scale, I learnt so much about production,” says the actor, adding that the way the movie is directed, every actor plays an important role.
Although she has now done eight Malayalam movies, she surely had her initial hiccups with the language. “I am part Mangalurean and part Goan and I have done like six Malayalam films till now. I have learnt the language by working in films, through YouTube videos or a friend’s mum who helped me right in the beginning. There are a lot of nuances in the grammar. But I knew Tamil so it helped me learn Malayalam,” recalls Braganza, adding that at this point she can just about hold a conversation in the language. Her next Malayalam movie is Varam, where she plays the lead, which is set to be released in October.