EXCLUSIVE: I thought it was a prank when I was offered a role in ‘Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye’, says Siri Ravikumar

When Swathi Mutthina Male Hainye was launched, producer Ramya was to portray the role of Prerana, thus marking her comeback in acting. But, for reasons best known to Ramya, Siri Ravikumar stepped in, and the rest is history.

In an exclusive with South First, Siri Ravikumar talks about her memorable experience as Prerana in Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye, her upcoming releases in Kannada, her training in Carnatic and Hindustani music, her stint with theatre, radio jockeying, and of course, sports anchoring.

Related: ‘Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye’ is an ordinary tale of love, loss, and life 

‘Thought it was a prank!’

Siri Ravikumar and Raj B shetty in a still from ‘Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye’. (siriiravikumar/Instagram)

Siri Ravikumar shares that she was initially in disbelief when actor-director Raj B Shetty called her about Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye.

“I didn’t even have Raj B Shetty’s number and I thought it was a prank. But when Apple Box Studios (Ramya’s production house) called me later, I realised that I was actually offered the female lead in the film. I read about the launch of the film and that Ramya Ma’am was to play the role,” the actor recalls.

However, after she started working on the flick, the entire process left her with great experiences to cherish.

She also feels grateful to the makers for offering her the role.

Nothing is permanent

Raj B Shetty’s brilliant writing and outstanding performances of the lead pair stood out in Swathi Muthina Male Haniye. While Aniketh (Raj’s character) was the soul, Prerana was the body of the film.

A stage actor, Siri Ravikumar says she visited Karunashraya, a hospice in Bengaluru, to understand her character (of a counsellor).

“We always hope in life. For example, we believe our parents are permanent, and nothing can ever happen to them. While dating a person, we hope we might find the right person to lead a life of happiness. Prerana is well aware that ‘nothing is permanent’. It was new to me to understand and emote. She is so cold to life. When a dying person brings hope into her life, it feels like an ocean for her,” she adds.

Also Read: Kannada stars to make a comeback in 2024 with pan-Indian films

‘It was brilliant working with Raj B Shetty’

Siri Ravikumar and Raj B Shetty during the promotions of ‘Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye’. (siriiravikumar/Instagram)

The actor quips it was an added advantage to act alongside an actor who is also the director and writer  (Raj B Shetty) of the film.

“It was a brilliant experience working with Raj B Shetty. He gives his actors good instructions to help them navigate the character effectively,” Siri recollects.

The Kannada actor hastens to add: “Acting-wise, it was easy with him since he would advise me on how well a scene can be improvised or to better the performance.”

Raj B Shetty’s writing and making introduce Prerana as a person who leads a monotonous life until she finds a glimmer of hope through Aniketh.

Anyone who watched Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye would immediately connect with dosa — one of the most liked South Indian dishes.

“Despite being alive, Prerana was like playing a dead person inside her. She does not want to change. The metaphor of her not wanting to change has a lot to express. Hence, all she cooked was dosas. How many times did Prerana cook dosa in the film can make for an interesting contest,” Siri Ravikumar guffaws.

Siri Ravikumar owes it to her mentor

Though she started as a singer, getting trained in classical music, Siri eventually did background stage works for Prakash Belawadi, a noted theatre and film personality.

“I owe to my mentor Prakash Belawadi sir with whom I started working in theatre in 2010. The theatre experience helped me a lot — from reading scripts and understanding them holistically to preparing for the role and the aspects as an actor to look for in the dialogues,” she points out.

Also Read: Kannada watchlist for January 2024

Varied interests

Kannada actor Siri Ravikumar. (siriiravikumar/Instagram)

First, it was training in classical music and then came the theatre — something which happened to her by accident. So was her journey as a Radio Jockey, feature films, and sports anchoring.

Siri Ravikumar was recently seen playing the mythological role of Draupadi in Prakash Belawadi’s Parva, an Eight-hour English play based on noted Kannada writer SL Bhyrappa’s celebrated novel of the same name.

Previously, she acted in Sakutumba Sametha (2021), a film that focused on arranged marriage.

“Many people, like me, prefer doing multiple things. Yes, one may say I am slightly gifted as both my parents are also actors and singers. My varied interests are like my neighbours for whom I do not have to travel much and can keep visiting them as and when I want to,” the actor-singer notes.

Upcoming films

Kannada actor Siri Ravikumar will next be seen in ‘Bachelor Party’. (siriiravikumar/Instagram)

Siri Ravikumar will soon play the role of a mean wife in Bachelor Party, an out-and-out comedy film to be released on 26 January.

“It is a different role than I have played to date — a very mean wife one would never want to have. It was so much fun and interesting to play a total bimbo and goofy character alongside Diganth in Bachelor Party, she quips.

Siri is all praise for director Abhijit Mahesh and his comic timing in the film.

Bachelor Party is made under the Paramvah banner by Rakshit Shetty.

After this, Siri Ravikumar will return to Arvind Shastry’s Bisi Bisi Ice Cream where she plays a girl who walks into a cab driver’s life.

Then, she plays a supporting role in the film Otu bankrolled by PRK Productions. Her next venture, Abracadabra, is made under the banner of Paramvah Studios.

She already wrapped the shooting of these films even before the release of Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye.

“2021 and 2022 were great as I worked on multiple projects and as a sports anchor. 2023 topped it up with the amazing Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye hitting the screens. Now, I only hope for a wonderful 2024,” Siri Ravikumar signs off.

Also Read: ‘Kaatera’ success meant more to me than winning an Oscar: Darshan