Seems like Ragini Dwivedi is going out of her way to give a stellar performance in Kichchu. The actress, who has gone de-glam in the role as a coffee estate worker in Pradeep Raj's directorial, has now learnt sign language for the film.
"My on-screen partner Dhruva and the girl who plays my sister are speech and hearing impaired. I need to learn sign language to be able to communicate with them while shooting. Moreover, we actually use it in the film," she says.
Ragini took a two-and-half-week course in sign language and also got tips from Dhruva himself. "Dhruva's character in the film will be exactly like he is in real life. We are waiting to watch ourselves on screen because there has been a different kind of chemistry between us," she explains.
About Dhruva, she says, "When I meet such people, I feel despite being blessed with everything, we do not make the best use of what we have."
Ragini shot a few portions of the film at the Chikkamagaluru santhe (market). "People have an interesting lifestyle in that part of Karnataka. In the little time I spent there, I saw up close the people's innocence and strength. We tend to assume that urban women are a lot busier than those in quieter towns. That is not true. Women there work 14 hours a day like it's no big deal," she says.
Kichchu explores a lot of sentiments, Ragini says. "It portrays the different facets of a coffee estate worker's life. It shows a different kind of an ecosystem and talks about the lives of the people there."
Even without glamorous makeup, Ragini was recognised by the villagers who came up to speak to her. "I guess it's because I'm tall and I attract attention," she says with a chuckle.
The makers are now waiting for the rains to stop to get started on their next schedule.