You may have seen her as the female lead in the serial Anuroopa on Star Suvarna or as an anchor on shows in Chandana, Kasthuri Kannada, Zee Kannada and Colours Kannada and other stage shows. She also played the supporting lead in the 2015 film Mirchi Mandakki Kadak Chai. Meet Apoorva Bharadwaj, a young and upcoming actor.
From TV to films
Apoorva admits that she never really had acting on her mind as she always wanted to be a technician. She worked for a few reality shows before she started acting. “It was one of those regular days on the set of the reality show where I was working when I got a call from the fiction head of Suvarna channel asking me to attend an audition for a serial.
At that point of time, I was not serious about it, as I never thought I could act. But I still went ahead and gave an audition, and to my surprise, I was selected for Sunaina’s role in Anuroopa, directed by V Madhusudhan. This is my favourite character that I have played so far as I relate to the role,” she explains.
Being an outsider with no connections, did she find it hard to break into the industry? “Well, I was a technician and also used to host a few programmes, so I was part of this industry. But acting was new to me. I met the right people at the right time. I have worked with a few amazing directors and actors, and thanks to them, my journey has been smooth so far,” Apoorva says.
Apoorva is currently working on B Suresha’s Uppina Kagada as the female protagonist and the daughter of T S Naghabharana. She is also part of Vaarasdaara, a serial under Sudeep’s Kichcha Productions for Zee Kannada, where she is in a pivotal role. She is also playing the lead in the serial Chakravyuha on Kasthuri Kannada.
So, does she have a role she really likes? “I can’t really choose one as each role was different, and they were all learning experiences for me. But Uppina Kagada is, by far, one of the best experiences I have had. It was a very different experience as compared to acting in serials, as I had to emote more through my face and my eyes as compared to body language. It was good shooting with talented people who were humble, and I got to learn a lot in those few days.”
She goes on, “Another role would be the role of Antara for the serial Girija Kalyana, where I am playing the negative lead. I play a loud character. I think this role is another extreme when I compare my roles in my previous serials.”
Roles to remember
In Vaarasdara, Apoorva is playing the character of a bold and strong girl, who is in love with a person from a rival family. “I now choose scripts based on how different they are from those that I have already done. Since it’s just been two years into acting now, I haven’t experienced a lot of characters yet, so looking forward to do more challenging roles,” Apoorva explains.
A movie buff, Apoorva loves watching movies whenever she gets the time. She says, “I like singing, and my latest addiction is making dubsmash videos; they are so much fun! And I’ve recently started writing short stories.”
She also has an interesting take on competition in the industry — “Every field is challenging. I think that is what keeps you on your feet, and there are a lot of talented actors today. More challenges will make you work harder, which leads to more learning.”
She has recently signed a Telugu thriller, April Fool, directed by Nagacharan. “The role is amazing and requires a lot of mental preparation, and we start shooting in a few months.”
Looking ahead, she is hoping to do work that takes her out of her comfort zone. “I also want to work with various directors and expand my horizon and try acting in different languages. But the technician in me is very much alive, and I want to start my own production house and produce some really good shows,” she signs off.