Becoming a female lead comes with more responsibility: Akhila Bhargavan

Actress Akhila Bhargavan is enjoying a strong phase in her career following the success of Premalu and, more recently, Sookshmadarshini. With projects such as Medical Miracle and an untitled film with Shyam Mohan in the pipeline, the actress is embracing new challenges, including her transition into female lead roles.

Excerpts from an interview:Reuniting with familiar facesCurrently shooting in Thiruvananthapuram, Akhila is sharing screen space with Shyam Mohan once again after Premalu.“I don't know if I would call it a reunion because it’s just the two of us. Interestingly, Mamitha and Sangeeth ettan are also filming together in Ernakulam for another project at the same time,” she says. "Having previously worked with Shyam, she says the familiarity has made the process more comfortable.

“There’s a sense of freedom and rapport between us. So, discussing scenes, preparing for shoots and planning ahead becomes easier,” she adds.‘Playing a lead role helped me discover new aspects of myself as an actor’Akhila is now stepping into female lead territory, a shift she describes as both exciting and daunting. She's currently in discussion for several projects, while a few are at various stages of production.

Among her upcoming releases are Avarachan and Sons with Biju Menon and Sreenath Bhasi, an untitled film that's currently on floors and a web series set in the 1990s.“My first film as a female lead is Medical Miracle, opposite Sangeeth ettan. Moving from character roles to lead roles came with both excitement and tension. I definitely felt the responsibility increase,” she says.While she values the importance of character roles, Akhila believes lead characters demand a different level of emotional investment.

“When you play the female lead, the entire emotional journey of the character comes into focus. Until now, I’ve largely explored comedy on screen. Medical Miracle has romance, comedy and a wider emotional range. It helped me discover new aspects of myself as an actor," Akhila explains.'Sookshmadarshini gave me wider exposure'Unlike many industry stories, Akhila’s role in Sookshmadarshini came through a traditional audition process.“The chief associate directors of Premalu and Sookshmadarshini were the same, which is how I ended up auditioning,” she recalls, “I wasn’t entirely confident because they pointed out that my Kannur slang was quite evident. But I told them that if the performance worked, we could fix the rest during dubbing.”The gamble paid off. “The film gave me wider exposure and allowed me to work with a large cast and crew, which was a valuable experience,” she says.‘Social media opened the door to acting’Akhila and her husband, Rahul, enjoy a loyal following on social media, but creating content together has become increasingly difficult, she states.“I actually entered acting through social media,” she says, “But these days, both of us are busy. Either I’m shooting or Rahul is on duty as a fire and rescue officer.”She laughs that Rahul may now be the more active creator of the two.

“He makes videos related to the fire force, sings and posts regularly. We still shoot videos together while travelling sometimes, but they rarely make it to social media,” she says.Revisiting old memoriesDespite her packed schedule, Akhila recently found time for a personal detour in Thiruvananthapuram — a visit to the home of her friend and former co-star Anishma Anilkumar, with whom she worked in Poovan.“I had planned the visit even before I arrived because the last time I was there was four years ago,” she says, “It was quite emotional revisiting the place, even though she wasn’t there.”Before leaving the city, she also hopes to make a visit to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. “Hopefully, I can find the time,” she says.'Audiences everywhere are watching Malayalam cinema'Akhila believes Malayalam cinema is currently enjoying unprecedented visibility across the country.“Mollywood is an industry that people from other languages want to work in today. We are making great films, and audiences everywhere are watching Malayalam cinema. After Premalu and Sookshmadarshini, I receive messages almost every day from people across India. Malayalam cinema has a much wider reach now," she says.