Bhavanaa Raao might come off as reticent during your first conversation with her, but the 30-year-old south Indian actor is clear about what she wants. Currently prepping for Hondisi Bareyiri, Bhavanaa speaks to TNM about the film, how she signs movies, the pay gap in the film industry and more.
“I usually look for emotional connect in films. I think it’s important for people to feel a sense of connection when they watch a movie. Maybe, this is why films from smaller productions are doing so well today— because they tell stories that people can relate to. As an artiste, that’s what draws me to a certain script as well. Everything else, including the team and how big a production it is for that matter, comes later,” begins Bhavanaa, who’s juggling projects in Bollywood and the south.
Quite comfortable with multi-starrers, Bhavanaa is excited about her upcoming film Hondisi Bareyiri, in which she plays one of the female leads along with Samyukta Hornad and Aishani Shetty.
Speaking about her role, she says, “I essay the character of Bhoomika, a woman who goes through a lot of ups and downs. There are variations to her character— greys to her personality. But, there’s a reason why she does what she does. I wouldn’t want to divulge further and kill the suspense around my character.”
While she attributes her role in the movie to sheer serendipity, Bhavanaa was convinced that she made the right choice on the day of the movie’s muhurtha. “I’ve done many multi-starrer films, and I’ve always believed that it is the content that matters. Naveen Shankar suggested my name to the filmmakers. I didn’t have a clue about R Ramenahalli Jagannatha (the director), when he contacted me and expressed his desire to narrate the story to me. I asked him a lot of questions, as I always do,” she quips.
“On the muhurtha day, I felt I was in the right space. Everyone on the team was on the go. There are a lot of combination shots with the girls. It’s exciting to work with such good actors. I’m looking forward to this experience,” she adds.
Bhavanaa is happy about the way things are shaping up for her in the work front after nearly a decade in the industry. However, she believes that pay disparity is a big dampener. “At the end of the day, we earn our bread and butter from this. So, it is indeed discouraging to be offered a meagre pay. I really feel a lot could be done in this regard. It would make actors more motivated about their craft,” she says.
The actor, who has bagged a small role in the Bollywood flick Bypass Road opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh, is excited but clear about her path. “It is a very small role, but I’m glad that the opportunity came my way. I’d be lying if I said Bollywood doesn’t offer opportunities, because it does. But, I don’t wish to switch gears and focus on just Bollywood. I don’t see myself settling in Mumbai in search of Bollywood offers—at least not in the near future. At present, the focus is to make a mark in the south and amass the attention and love of the audiences through my work alone.”
Aside from cinema, Bhavanaa admits that she also works hard to make her social media presence felt.
“I wouldn’t call myself a social media addict or an inactive user. I’m somewhere in the middle. But, my team has stressed upon the importance of going out there and making a presence in the digital platform. I think I was forced into posting and updating on social media. But, I’m mostly on it for work. I keep my phone away otherwise. I’m a workout freak so that’s what takes up my free time more than mindless scrolling,” she says.
On what’s next in the pipeline, she says, “A couple of new projects… an exciting film in Kannada is on the cards and I’m really very excited about it. The team has given me a lot of homework to do, with regard to the character. I am waiting for the first look of the movie to be out!”