<p>Actress Bhavana has established herself as a bankable actress through her promising performances in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu cinema.<br />She made her acting debut with Malayalam film ‘Nammal’ in 2002, since then she has appeared in over 75 films. Her latest release ‘99’, a remake of the Tamil blockbuster ‘96’, hit the screens on May 1.</p>.<p>In a candid interview with <strong>Rakshitha M N</strong>, Bhavana talks about her latest release, her career and more.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>Growing up you were surrounded by people from film industry. Did that affect your decision making acting your career?</strong><br />I think it did. My dad, a cinematographer, used to share his location stories with us, and there was always a part of me that wanted to be a part of them. I started acting when I was 15. The journey has not been that difficult; opportunities started pouring in without me looking for it once I finished high school.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>‘Jackie’, ‘Tagaru’, ‘Vishnuvardhana’ are your Kannada hits. How has the journey been in the industry?</strong><br />The journey has been fantastic. I had got a few calls from Sandalwood even before ‘Jackie’. I had either no dates or I was not sure about the projects. But when I got a call for the ‘Jackie’ team, I did my research and was convinced that this was the right time for me to venture into the Kannada industry. And, looking at the warmth, love and support I have been receiving, I take it that I am doing a good job here.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>Your thoughts on ‘99’? Tell us about your role.</strong><br />As an actor, I have never encouraged remakes. I am hesitant for two reasons -- I personally do not like it and it is difficult to reprise another role which has already been portrayed. Although ‘Yaare Koogadali’ was also a remake, I had a lot of thoughts before I agreed to do ‘99’.</p>.<p>‘96’ was a hit in Tamil. And, moreover, since it released last year, everything is still fresh in people’s minds. But as a project it was very appealing.</p>.<p>I play the role of ‘Jaanu’, which is not the regular cliche role where the heroine waits until a man comes and rescues her. Jaanu is a practical, educated woman, who knows how to prioritise things. I have tried to create my own version of the character. There’s also a cute love story helmed inside of all this. On the whole, the film is a good family entertainer.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>What genre of films do you usually like working on?</strong><br />I like all kinds of films, be it a thriller, romantic drama. But I am a bit hesitant when it comes to action films as I think I might not be able to do justice to it.</p>.<p>I like comedy films better. I have worked on a lot of comedy films in Malayalam. If I get an opportunity to work in a Kannada comedy film with a good script, then I might consider it.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>How do you like Bengaluru? Tell us about your connection with the city.</strong><br />The first time I visited Bengaluru was while shooting for a Tamil film. I fell in love with the city’s weather since then. Even while growing in Kerala, I always thought of Bengaluru as this top class city, tailor-made for youngsters. Once I started doing Kannada films, it became my second home. Now that I live here, I have started to explore the city.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>Your advice to youngsters.</strong><br />The only advice is to work hard and follow their passion. I see a lot of youngsters come up with short films and documentaries these days. I think cinema is no longer the only medium of entertainment.</p>
<p>Actress Bhavana has established herself as a bankable actress through her promising performances in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu cinema.<br />She made her acting debut with Malayalam film ‘Nammal’ in 2002, since then she has appeared in over 75 films. Her latest release ‘99’, a remake of the Tamil blockbuster ‘96’, hit the screens on May 1.</p>.<p>In a candid interview with <strong>Rakshitha M N</strong>, Bhavana talks about her latest release, her career and more.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>Growing up you were surrounded by people from film industry. Did that affect your decision making acting your career?</strong><br />I think it did. My dad, a cinematographer, used to share his location stories with us, and there was always a part of me that wanted to be a part of them. I started acting when I was 15. The journey has not been that difficult; opportunities started pouring in without me looking for it once I finished high school.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>‘Jackie’, ‘Tagaru’, ‘Vishnuvardhana’ are your Kannada hits. How has the journey been in the industry?</strong><br />The journey has been fantastic. I had got a few calls from Sandalwood even before ‘Jackie’. I had either no dates or I was not sure about the projects. But when I got a call for the ‘Jackie’ team, I did my research and was convinced that this was the right time for me to venture into the Kannada industry. And, looking at the warmth, love and support I have been receiving, I take it that I am doing a good job here.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>Your thoughts on ‘99’? Tell us about your role.</strong><br />As an actor, I have never encouraged remakes. I am hesitant for two reasons -- I personally do not like it and it is difficult to reprise another role which has already been portrayed. Although ‘Yaare Koogadali’ was also a remake, I had a lot of thoughts before I agreed to do ‘99’.</p>.<p>‘96’ was a hit in Tamil. And, moreover, since it released last year, everything is still fresh in people’s minds. But as a project it was very appealing.</p>.<p>I play the role of ‘Jaanu’, which is not the regular cliche role where the heroine waits until a man comes and rescues her. Jaanu is a practical, educated woman, who knows how to prioritise things. I have tried to create my own version of the character. There’s also a cute love story helmed inside of all this. On the whole, the film is a good family entertainer.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>What genre of films do you usually like working on?</strong><br />I like all kinds of films, be it a thriller, romantic drama. But I am a bit hesitant when it comes to action films as I think I might not be able to do justice to it.</p>.<p>I like comedy films better. I have worked on a lot of comedy films in Malayalam. If I get an opportunity to work in a Kannada comedy film with a good script, then I might consider it.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>How do you like Bengaluru? Tell us about your connection with the city.</strong><br />The first time I visited Bengaluru was while shooting for a Tamil film. I fell in love with the city’s weather since then. Even while growing in Kerala, I always thought of Bengaluru as this top class city, tailor-made for youngsters. Once I started doing Kannada films, it became my second home. Now that I live here, I have started to explore the city.</p>.<p class="Question"><strong>Your advice to youngsters.</strong><br />The only advice is to work hard and follow their passion. I see a lot of youngsters come up with short films and documentaries these days. I think cinema is no longer the only medium of entertainment.</p>