Ganavi Laxman, who caught the attention of Kannada audience in director TN Seetharam’s teleserial, Magalu Janaki, has taken a leap to the silver screen. She will be seen in M Bharath Raj’s Hero, in which she is stars opposite Rishab Shetty. The actor, who is making her debut soon, was always clear about her interest in films. However, the journey has been far from easy.
“I have seen a lot of downs before coming here. With Hero, I hope to go to the next level,” says Ganavi, who has worked in a film titled Bhava Chitra, which is yet to see its release. Having grown up in a hostel, where access to television was limited, she was involved in every art form, dance, music, art...you name it, she was doing it. It was her teacher, Vivek Vijay Kumar from Our Theatre, who encouraged her further.
However, a series of rejection post auditions, she was almost going to give up even before making an entry. “That’s when my entry to the small screen happened with Magalu Janaki. That was my last try, and when I was offered the character, I felt like it was tailor-made for me. I took it up as a challenge” says Ganavi, who has been particular to pick up projects that allow her to perform, and feels that Hero gave her that scope.
Paired opposite Rishab Shetty, Ganavi recalls how she was rejected for Kirik Party which was Rishab’s directorial project. “I was rejected for the role because I was told that I looked too mature for it. Instead, I was offered a friend’s role to play. I didn’t take that rejection too well, because I always prided myself on my talent, including dancing skills. But at the same time, the rejected kept me grounded, and helped me learn acceptance,” she says, adding “At that time, I looked at myself in the mirror and said that one day I will be accepted as a heroine Today, I am glad to be associating with Rishab Shetty for Hero.”
Not being a trained artiste meant a lot of homework for Ganavi who came to realise that there’s much difference between dancing and acting. “I cherish the experience with Hero which was done during the lockdown and this will stay in my memory for a long time. I was signed for his other film, Nathuram, which didn’t go on floors, and he ended up offering me this project. When I entered Hero, I felt like I was in a different world. I told myself that this was my chance to prove my mettle,” she says.
Ask Ganavi the importance of a heroine in a film that which is titled Hero, and she says, “Behind the sparks seen in a hero, lies the strength of the heroine,” says the actor, who reveals a line about her character. “Hero brings out different facets of a woman, from the time she makes a transition from a girl to a woman, the love she experiences, marriage and other emotions,” she says.