Working in multiple languages has made me more disciplined: Ashika Ranganath
Ashika shares that her favourite actors are Puneeth Rajkumar and Ramya.
Kannada
actress Ashika Ranganath
, who has Karthi's
Sardar 2
and Chiranjeevi's Vishwambhara in her lineup, tells us that she initially took up films just for the experience, but later on found joy in being in front of the camera. Excerpts:
'MY ROLE IN SARDAR 2 IS THAT OF A MODERN GIRL WHO REPRESENTS TODAY'S GENERATION'
Talking about being part of Sardar 2 , directed by PS Mithran, she says, 'Its makers approached me after watching my Telugu film Naa Saami Ranga .
I played a traditional girl in that film, but my role in Sardar 2 is that of a young, modern girl who represents today's generation. I don't have combination scenes with Malavika (Mohanan) ma'am, but Karthi sir has been a fantastic human being to be around. He is an amazing actor who is passionate about his work.
'
'Tamil is the most difficult to learn'
She shares that working in multiple languages has made her 'stronger and more disciplined'.
She states, 'Exploring various languages has been more beneficial to me as a person than as an actor. Tamil has been the most difficult to learn. I'm from Tumkur, and my mother tongue is Kannada. I didn't have friends who spoke Tamil or Telugu. I speak Telugu more fluently because I grew up watching Telugu movies. But I can understand Tamil now.
'
'I DIDN'T THINK I'D BE AN ACTOR'
Reflecting on her initial days in cinema, she says, 'I didn't think I would be an actor.
It was my parents who wanted me to be part of movies. I wanted to be an entrepreneur because I'm a commerce student. Of course, dancing was always my passion. But I never thought that would lead me to be an actor. When the opportunity came, I took it up for the experience. When I saw myself on screen for the first time in 2016 (her debut was the Kannada film Crazy Boy ), I felt I wasn't great, but I would be able to do this.
'
'THERE'S SO MUCH COMPETITION TODAY; YOU NEED TO BE ON YOUR TOES'
Ashika
shares that she now understands the need to build connections in the film industry and states, "It's not like there is a lot on my table from which I get to choose.
There are only certain films that are offered to you, and you need to be careful in choosing from them. I initial- ly thought that if a project had to come to me, I would get it. But that mindset doesn't work in today's world, where there is so much competition. You need to be on your toes.
When you don't have a film background, you need to be well-connected to land the right projects. But, even though being well- connected will help, that's not the sole reason you will do well.
It's a combination of every- thing. Of course, there's luck, hard work, and discipline."
'CHIRANJEEVI SIR MADE WORKING ON A BLUE MATTE COMFORTABLE'
Delving into her next projects, she says, "In Kannada, I'm doing a period love drama called Gathavaibhava. In Telugu, I have Chiranjeevi sir's Vishwambhara, a socio- fantasy film. I play a warrior princess in it. It's the first time I'm working on a blue/green matte set.
In a real set, we know the atmosphere and feel. But this time, I didn't know what the background would look like. It was difficult, but Chiranjeevi sir made it comfortable.
He is well-learnt and updated, and explains to us how a scene is going to be visualised."
'Puneeth Rajkumar and Ramya are my favourite actors'
Ashika shares that her favourite actors are Puneeth Rajkumar and Ramya. Elaborating on why she likes them, the actress states, 'I always enjoy the aura Ramya carries in her movies and how she represents herself. Puneeth sir was a whole package as an actor; he used to act, dance, and fight. I think that's how an actor should be. You should be able to do everything for the character. When I started working in movies, I met him a couple of times, and he sang a song in my first film.
I got to know the person he is, and the whole of Karnataka admires him for the personality he had.'
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