I choose roles from audience perspective: Actor Bhavana Menon
For someone like Bhavana Menon, who commenced her film journey at a tender age, contributing to over 85 films, navigating through diverse genres poses an ongoing challenge. Choosing roles today demands a discerning eye, and she openly acknowledges the influx of fresh and compelling subjects. Reflecting on her early days, Bhavana reminisces, “I initiated my career during the nascent stages of my life, guided by my father, a seasoned industry insider.
In those days, he held decisive sway over projects, sometimes steering me towards films I wasn’t enthusiastic about but acquiesced due to his authority and friendship connections. His unique perspective on films, often at odds with mine, influenced those initial choices. I must admit, out of the many films, I’ve done, there’s a handful that I wouldn’t be proud to be a part of,” she says.
Bhavana reflects on herself as an actor, approaching roles from an audience perspective, evaluating whether she would personally enjoy watching the film in theaters. “Eventually, my father too succumbed to a change of heart, realizing the merit in my judgment. Once I gained autonomy and started handpicking scripts, I made a conscious effort to choose wisely,” she adds.
Bhavana, who has enjoyed her stint in Kannada, highlights noteworthy projects from Jackie to Vishnuvardhana, 99, Yaare Koogadali, to Tagaru, and many more. “However, following Inspector Vikram, I took some time to find a compelling Kannada project. “I listened to scripts during that period, but none resonated with me until the Case of Kondana,” she reveals and talks about the film, ahead of its release on January 26.
Interestingly, according to Bhavana, there’s a delightful backstory to the connection with Case of Kondana, Devi Prasad Shetty, and herself as an actor. “Around 2008, I used to receive gifts and prasadam from fans, and one person stood out – Devi Prasad Shetty. His big greeting cards became a familiar presence in my home. Though he had become popular with my parents too, it wasn’t until Vijay Raghavendra, my co-actor from Chowka, called me to digitally launch the poster of Seetharam Benoy, a film directed by Devi Prasad Shetty, that I connected with him on Instagram, and when he expressed his fan moment with me, and said that he was the one, who confessed to being the sender of the greeting cards. The overwhelming moment came when Devi Prasad Shetty shared that he came to the industry because of me,” she mentions, adding further, “When he initially approached me for the Case of Kondana, I was initially reluctant, but I decided to meet him. However, as he narrated the story, I was impressed with the compelling plot and gladly accepted the script. This is something I haven’t experienced before, and I thanked him for making me feel special.”
Though Bhavana has been part of various genres, she calls thrillers her favourite genre. “ I am basically drawn to such subjects; they keep me on the edge of my seat. However, a ghost on screen can scare me away, I go to my mother; I can’t sleep alone. As for Case of Kondana, I play a cop, no drama, just reality unfolding in one night and how it is all handled,” says Bhavana, adding, “In fact, I took advantage of him being a fan of mine and told him that I will play a cop but can’t wear the uniform, just a formal shirt and police pants. Initially, he was hesitant, but I managed to convince him,” she says.
Bhavana has an interesting lineup of films in Tamil and Malayalam. “I have just completed a Tamil project, The Door, and this film is special; it is produced by my husband Naveen and myself under the banner Junedream Studios, and my brother, Jayadevan has directed it. Apart from this, I have three films in production, and I have completed shooting Nadikar Thilakam,’ my third with director Jean Paul Lal, starring Tovino Thomas,” she says.
As for Kannada, Bhavana says, “I am listening to a script. Like I mentioned earlier, I don’t want to say yes to everything. I want to do movies that I want to watch in theaters. It has to evoke interest in me. I have done so many films, and I am in a position to choose. Having said that, this is my 21st year in the industry, and I still feel so excited to listen to scripts,” she concludes.