Anagha Maya Ravi, originally from Chalakudy in Thrissur, moved to Kochi during her Class IV for the purpose of education.
In an interview with The New Indian Express she says, From a young age, she had a creative spark.
“I used to take my amma’s Nokia phone, place it somewhere and talk to it,” she laughs. “I’d record videos, pretending to speak to someone else, sometimes in different languages.” Though she didn’t realise it back then, the passion for acting had already taken root.
Alongside her early interest in performing, sports played a big role in her life. “I was very active in school. I used to think maybe I’d end up in the Olympics,” she says. But things took a different turn when she shifted to another school that lacked both sports and dance. “It was very depressing. I lost interest and ended up dropping out when I was in Class IX.”
That’s when her father stepped in, suggesting she try homeschooling. “That idea really helped me. Slowly, I found my way back into dancing.” Her parents’ unwavering support meant everything to her. “They always stood by me.”
Dancing soon became her identity. “I’ve always been a dancer. When someone says ‘Akku, dance’, I’m always the first one up.
She joined a dance crew and began travelling with them, eventually getting into b-boying. Her passion led her to Mamangam Studio in Kochi, run by actress Rima Kallingal. “I got selected to be part of their team and started working there at the age of 16. That’s where my love for acting really began.”
One of her turning points came during an ad shoot directed by Martin Prakkat and featuring Dulquer Salmaan. “We were there to dance. After the shoot, they said, ‘Anagha, you have one more shot tomorrow a small scene.’ I was so excited. It was with Dulquer Salmaan!” That experience opened her eyes to the world of cinema. “I was fascinated by the crew, the technicians, everything behind the scenes. I loved sitting behind the monitor, watching how it all came together. I never wanted to be famous but something changed in me that day.”
Despite her talents, there were doubts from others. “Relatives would say, ‘She dances, draws, sings she’s all over the place. She won’t reach anywhere.’ Even my parents began to worry. And yes, I did lose confidence for a while.”
People often labelled her as rebellious. “But I don’t want to call myself a rebel,” she says. “There’s no need to hate society. I think everything should be balanced you can follow your path without being against everything.”
Her most recent film, Alappuzha Gymkhana role brought all her passions together. “An associate called me and said, ‘There’s a boxing character you might be one among the main female characters.’ I told him, ‘Sir, please look into it. I’ve been thinking about doing a sporty role.’” She met the team at a training gym, where actor Naslen was present, and saw what the role involved.
“I was into sports, but I didn’t know boxing,” she admits. Later, when she met director Khalid Rahman, he asked her bluntly, “You will get good punches. Are you ready for it?” She replied confidently, “I’ve done karate.” But Rahman ikka smiled and said, “This is different. This is not karate. You’ll get a proper punch.” He asked her three times before she finally said yes and that’s when he signed the contract.
Training was intense. “I got a lot of punches during practice. But during the shoot, my character was not meant to get hit that often,” she laughs. Director Rahman and their coach Jophil wanted to bring style into her role. “They knew I was a dancer, so they wanted to add that grooviness into it. My character was a chill boxer, so they asked me to incorporate some dance into the movement.”
To prepare, Anagha studied boxing styles. “We watched matches of Benjamin Whittaker and Emmanuel Augustus and Jophil lal choreographed the style based on them.”
The shoot was memorable, especially on the Alappuzha Gymkhana set. “We had to be there every single day. If one actor was down, someone else had to jump in it’s boxing, after all.”
Anagha reflects on the journey with a smile. “I told my amma recently, maybe I wanted to be a boxer at some point. And now I’ve acted as one. Life is funny like that.”
Today, Anagha is focused on exploring roles she’s capable of. “I don’t have anything specific in mind, but I want to keep learning. I want to study cinema. I just have to find the time for it.”
She recalls Kaathal and New Normal as two particularly memorable projects. “My parents had their proud moment. I’m truly grateful for everything.”
Currently, Anagha is working on the Tamil film Surya 45, directed by RJ Balaji.