Neetha Ashok is the latest talent to make a successful transition to the silver screen from the small screen. The newcomer was spotted by Sudeep and she will be making her feature film debut alongside him and Nirup Bhandari in the multilingual project Vikrant Rona. For somebody, who had no plans for an acting career, Neetha considers this as destiny. “As a college student, I was more into event management. I was a backstage person and never wanted to become an actor. It was when I was pursuing my MBA, that I was offered a role in a daily soap, and realized that I am good at it. The kind of offers that came to me helped to explore my acting skills in me. Debuting on the big screens with a film like Vikrant Rona further confirms that I’m destined to be an actor.”
Neetha recalls the moment she got a message from Sudeep, which she initially thought was a prank. “Sudeep choosing me for a role in Vikrant Rona is an honour and a blessing, but it came with a huge responsibility. A superstar, with 26 years of experience taking the effort to reach a newbie like me shows his greatness. It was his belief in me that made this possible,” says Neetha, who was then selected by director Anup Bhandari after an audition.
“I am a huge fan of Anup’s debut directorial, Rangitaranga. He did not allow me to take my role lightly and made me attend workshops, and it helped to learn a lot. Later, I met Nirup Bhandari, who was more of a guide through the shooting process. Overall the journey has been an exciting roller coaster ride.” She shares that working with experienced people helped a lot. “Everyone created a comfort zone for me. I learned a lot from Sudeep on the set. It is my hard work and luck that brought me here. It felt like I was gifted with a golden spoon,” she says.
Neetha shares very few details about her role. “I play Aparna Ballal (a) Panna, who unearths Vikrant’s story and presents it to the audience. She is a Kannadiga born and brought up in Mumbai, is western in her culture and speaks a mix of Hindi and Kannada. She is a curious girl, who loves to explore new places. She is courageous and the soul of Vikrant Rona.”
Vikrant Rona has been planned to be released in multiple languages and Neetha has been dubbed in Kannada, English, and Hindi. “I’m eagerly waiting for the film’s release, to watch the film in 3D,” she says, adding, “While the waiting period from shooting to release date was one of the challenges, managing the hairdo, for the character was a task by itself.”
According to Neetha, Vikrant Rona is a ‘wholesome package’. “It has elements of mystery, thriller, action, and emotions. Vikrant Rona backed by Jack Manjunath and created by Sudeep and Anup Bhandari will be a film that caters to all kinds of audiences. The visuals will blow your mind. The set work of Shivakumar and cinematography of William David are amazing and the music of Ajaneesh Loknath will give goosebumps.”
Neetha admits that the road ahead will be tough for her. “I’m going to take it as it comes. There is pressure to be wise in picking my next project, but I want to work on all types of films. I just hope for the best,” she signs off.