Varalaxmi Sarathkumar awaits the release of 'Sabari', the female-centric movie, on May 3. Producer Mahendra Nath Kondla of Maha Movies and director Anil Katz are confident that it will be a commercial hit.
In this interview, actress Varalaxmi says that the producer has held his ground right from the start till promotions. Ganesh Venkatraman, Shashank, Mime Gopi, Sunayana, among others, have crucial roles in the thriller. To be released in Telugu and Tamil, the film has a mother-daughter angle at its core. "Don't expect a regular action movie here. The nature of action here assumes a naturalistic form here," she says, emphasizing that the treatment of action scenes is realistic.
This is a psychological thriller that gave me the opportunity to play a non-regular role. It happened before 'Krack' although the shoot started much later. An actor is aware of the genre much before the film goes on set. That way, there is mental preparation. How a film might turn out to be at the edit table is something that is not known beforehand.
I play a common woman in 'Sabari'. She is a single mother, having got separated from her husband. It is not a loud character. I don't call her an angry woman. Hers is a vengeant disposition because she must protect her daughter who is in danger. The emotional repercussions of that imperative is what drives the emotions.
'Sabari' is fast-paced and has no lags. It takes a direct plunge into the story right away. The screenplay is pacy and it is also the film's USP. I am confident that nobody is going to say it is a bad movie even if it becomes just an above-average performer at the BO. You won't be bored anywhere. It's edge-of-the-seat.
Sabari is a famous character from the Itihasas. However, there is nothing much to be read there in terms of our film's title. I have dubbed for my character in both Telugu and Tamil.
I played a mother in my very first movie, 'Podaa Podi' (Tamil). I don't have any reservations. An actor must be ready to essay any part. I entered the film industry with the sole aim of being an actor. The audience's opinions about an actor are influenced by the actor's choices. I played a sweet sister in 'HanuMan'. I played a lawyer in 'Naandhi'. I played negative roles in a few films. I don't worry about the nature of the character as long as it is meaningful and it gives me satisfaction. I can only give my 100%.
I don't agree that I have played character roles. My role in 'Veera Simha Reddy' was a lead role as far as I am concerned. My character had more screen time than the female leads. Just because I am not dancing with the hero, it doesn't mean it's not a lead role. As an artist, I am only bothered about getting my performance right. You can't impress every single person. There will also be those who don't approve of you. No actor can deliver 100% success rate. There will always be flops.
Nobody can be certain about the fate of movies. 'Naandhi' and 'Kota Bommali IPS' exceeded our expectations in terms of BO performance. There is an element of risk in any project. I am blessed that the Telugu film industry has given me a new lease of career. The industry has accepted me as its own. I too have reciprocated. I have received only love and fame here.
On social media, people tend to be hurtful. Being negative has become a fashion. It gives the faceless trolls the attention they seek. Being negative is not the same as being honest. There is a way of critiquing or giving an opinion. It can be done in a dignified, measured manner. What have these trolls done in life to earn the right to hurt others? Nobody even knows of their existence.
I come from a dance background. I did music shows before entering the film industry. I am getting more variety in Telugu than in Tamil. The Tamil audience like me in my Telugu movies. I want to do a comedy role. I also want to wield the megaphone someday. I don't do forward planning in life, though.
I am a producer-friendly artist. I am never late to sets. Wasting other people's time is wasting my own.
I opine that reviews have to flow in late. Give the audience their sweet time to form their own opinions. I discourage others from making decisions based on the reviews written by those who are not aware of what goes into making a movie. Some reviewers trash movies just for attention and viewership. Their opinions lack conviction.
