Exclusive interview: I was the chief guest for ‘Ajagrata’ but ended up being the heroine: Radhika Kumaraswamy

In an exclusive interview with South First, Radhika Kumaraswamy talks about her upcoming films — Ajagrata and Bhairadevi — and her priorities as an actor-producer.

Ajagrata, a multilingual project 

Radhika Kumaraswamy at the ‘Ajagrata’ muhurat puja. (Supplied)

While the muhurat function of Ajagrata was held recently in Hyderabad, the film went on floors on 15 May. It will be shot mostly in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai.

Ajagrata is bankrolled by Sri Durgaparameshwari Productions and is the maiden production venture of the actress’ brother Raviraj.

Directed by M Shashidhar, the film will primarily be shot in Kannada and Telugu and will also be released in Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Konkani, and Marathi languages.

Ajagrata also features Samuthirakani, Jayaprakash, Sparsha Rekha, Devaraj, Suchendra Prasad, and Vinay Prasad in key roles.

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From chief guest to heroine

Team ‘Ajagrata’. (Supplied)

The actor-producer shares that she had been getting a lot of opportunities but took up none, since nothing excited her in terms of story.

“For me, cinema is everything. I have reached a stage where I choose only the best subject that delivers something unique to the audience. I’m ready to work round-the-clock, but the film must excite and challenge me as an artist,” Radhika Kumaraswamy asserted.

Her brother Raviraj, who started his own banner, has been working hard to bring in the best actors and technicians on board.

“I was closely following the process of Ajagrata. He met several actresses to play the female lead in Ajagrata. I kept asking him about it and finally asked whether he wants my dates,” she quipped.

Interestingly, Radhika Kumaraswamy revealed that she was supposed to be the chief guest at Ajagrata‘s muhurat event but ended up being the female lead in it.

“The day before I said yes to my brother (for Ajagrata), I asked for the script with dialogues. The director came back with it in less than a day. His enthusiasm and hard work impressed me. When I read the script, I decided to do it. Ajagrata has the unique elements that I have been looking for. It also has a message,” she sounded excited.

With the blessing of Goddess Sri Durga Parameshwari, the muhurtham Pooja of #Ajagratha will be held tomorrow@shreyastalpade1 @Rkumar_Swamy@shashi94m@suneeltollywood#RaviRaj #SandeepValluri#ShriHari @PROSaiSatish pic.twitter.com/rdLAVXrLZC

— Sreenivas Gandla (@SreenivasPRO) May 13, 2023

Bhairadevi to release first

Radhika Kumaraswamy in ‘Bhairadevi’. (Twitter)

About her recent projects, Radhika Kumaraswamy said: “It feels like it’s been a while since I last acted in a film. Even for the two films released in 2022, I finished shooting for them long ago. They took some time for the release. However, my dream project — Bhairadevi will hit the screens in the coming months.”

The actress is self-producing Bhairadevi under the banner of Shamika Productions, which is named after her daughter.

With the shooting of the film concluded, it is in the post-production stage. It is most likely to hit the screens in July/August.

“I told my brother that Bhairadevi would release first and Ajagrata next. We will soon start the promotions. I really worked hard for Bhairadevi and it is one of the most challenging roles in my career,” she noted.

While the makers only revealed Radhika’s looks as “Kali” and “Aghori” until now, there is much more to Bhairadevi.

“Since I used the actual vibhooti (sacred ash), my skin and hair got damaged. It took some time for me to recover. I was told to use the artificial ash but I insisted on the original to keep it real,” the actor-producer shared one of her experiences.

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Acting and producing

Radhika Kumaraswamy produced two films so far — Lucky (2012) starring Rocking Star Yash and Ramya and Sweety Nanna Jodi (2013) starring herself in the lead alongside Aditya.

However, the actress wishes to do a quality film along the lines of Kantara (2022).

“I look for something unique in a project. Money-making alone cannot be a success. The story has to offer something new to the audience. For instance, Kantara was loved by all for its newness apart from brilliant making and performances,” she pointed out.

Before signing off, Radhika said she is more comfortable acting for another banner. “There will be no tension about the making and I can solely concentrate on the acting part!”