I try not to box myself into one stereotype or genre: Malavika Mohanan

With a string of projects across industries, Malavika Mohanan is embracing variety, and states she is “drawn to exploring different characters”. The actress opens up about seeking challenging roles, working with acclaimed filmmaker Thiagarajan Kumararaja and Vijay Sethupathi (in Pocket Novel ), finding time for herself amid hectic schedules, and more. Excerpts:‘IT’S A NICECHALLENGE TO PLAY CHARACTERS THAT ARE COMPLETE OPPOSITES’The actress is excited about the contrast between her two upcoming projects in Tamil.

“ Sardar 2 and Pocket Novel are poles apart and I play very different characters in them. It’s a nice challenge for an artiste to play characters that are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum,” she says. Malavika adds that the choice was intentional. “I try not to box myself into one stereotype or one genre. I’m drawn to exploring different characters,” she explains.‘In the film industry, you’re constantly stimulated in a creative way’According to Malavika, the ever-changing nature of her job is what keeps her going even after more than a decade in the industry.

“I feel it’s very easy in our line of work because every time you do a film, you’re working with an entirely new set of people and creative minds. You’re constantly stimulated in a creative way. It’s not a mundane or boring activity where you have to push yourself to keep the interest alive,” she says.

‘I REALLY STRUGGLE TO FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND ‘ME’ TIME’However, she admits that packed shooting schedules often leave little room for herself. “I can’t always manage it. There are times when I really struggle to find the balance between work and ‘me’ time, because when you’re shooting, it’s pretty much back-to-back.

That’s when I start getting a little cranky. Ideally, after every two weeks of work, I’d love to have three or four days completely to myself to just chill, do nothing, and then bounce back to work.

”‘VIJAY SETHUPATHI & I COMING TOGETHER IN A FILM WAS LONG DUE’Pocket Novel also marks her first proper onscreen union with Vijay Sethupathi, despite both having appeared in Petta and Master . “We never got to share screen space in those films. But he’s a close family friend now and is friends with my mother and brother and comes home for lunch or dinner.

So us coming together in a film was long due, and I’m glad it’s happening with the right film.”‘IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE AN ACTOR’As for what’s next, Malavika isn’t restricting herself to one industry. “I’m listening to scripts from different industries, and I’ve also been working across them. My last release was in Telugu; before that, it was in Malayalam, and my next project is in Tamil. More than looking for films in a specific language or industry, I feel it’s a great time to be an actor because we get to work across multiple industries.

I am drawn to good makers and good projects.

I don’t know where the next turn is going to lead me to or what life will surprise me with, so we will see what’s ahead.”‘There’s a method to Kumararaja’s madness’Speaking about working with filmmaker Thiagarajan Kumararaja, who is known for demanding multiple takes from his actors and who helms Pocket Novel, she says, “He does take a lot of takes, but there’s a method to his madness. Some people do things just because they’re feeling whimsical about it or because they just want to do it. But the reason he goes for multiple takes is because he’s perfecting the shot and making it crisper.

He keeps perfecting it, and the moment he gets it, he’s good to go.”