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Time of India

Be it stage or the screen, the moment the spotlight hits, I am no longer Siri, says Siri Ravikumar

For actress Siri Ravikumar , acting involves shedding her own identity to fully embody the character. 'On stage or screen, I am no longer Siri; the character that takes over. My focus is the character and only the character; never Siri. I don't bring Siri into any role; instead, I strive to become the character I'm playing and do justice to what the role demands,' says Siri, who received a Best Actress award last year for her performance in Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye. In a chat with Bangalore Times, she discusses the opportunities that followed her win, her thoughts on the portrayal of female protagonists in cinema, the demands of theatre and film acting and what continuously draws her back to the stage… 'WINNING 'BEST ACTRESS' WAS A BOOST TO MY CONFIDENCE' Opening up about the opportunities that have come her way since winning the Best Actress award, Siri says, 'The award gave me a platform and boosted my confidence as an actor. But to be honest, the film industry is a bit dull right now — not just Kannada, but overall. There aren't many films or series being made. Still, I've been in conversations for two or three projects, which are likely to begin by July or August. I'm also active in theatre, so that keeps me going. ' I act because I love the process. The recognition is a bonus, But the real joy is in becoming someone else for a while — and telling their story Siri 'WORKING WITH KISHORE WAS EXTREMELY SPECIAL' Her recent theatre ventures include the productions of Love Letters and Parva. Speaking about Love Letters, where she shared the stage with seasoned Kannada actor Kishore, Siri recalls, 'Working with Kishore was truly special. Though he's such a well-known name in cinema, there was no air about him at all. This was his return to theatre after almost 20 years, and he just blended in beautifully.' 'THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON TELLING WOMEN'S STORIES AUTHENTICALLY' On the portrayal of female protagonists in Kannada cinema, she says, 'The focus shouldn't be on making a 'women-centric' film, but on telling women's stories authentically. There are so many interesting stories that can be told from a woman's perspective — be it about a domestic worker, a mother, or a college student. Don't call her fierce or strong or anything, just tell her story. She could be flawed, she could fail — that's fine. Let's stop glorifying women and start writing them as people.' I feel extremely blessed and lucky to have played Prerna in Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye. That role was written for me, how often does that happen. I'm so grateful for that Siri 'THEATRE GIVES ME A HIGH LIKE NO OTHER' For Siri, the difference between theatre and cinema is stark. 'Theatre is all in the moment; you rehearse endlessly, and then you get just one chance to get it right. On screen, there are retakes, but even there, you can't afford too many.' So, what keeps drawing her back to the theatre? 'The high of being on stage: those lights, that adrenaline, the instant connection with the audience. Every rehearsal, every performance brings something new. You watch the play grow from script to stage, and you know you were part of that magic,' she says. ' AS AN INDUSTRY, WE NEED TO TRY PLACING ACTORS IN NEW KINDS OF ROLES' The actress opens up about the challenges of being typecast, which she says is a common concern for actors once they gain recognition. 'That danger is always there; once something works, people want to see you do that again. I do believe that, we, as an industry, need to try placing actors in new kinds of roles and see what works. It shouldn't be one box forever,' she says.