‘A good role strikes an instant chord with the audience’

Reba Monica John, who made her debut in Tamil with Jai’s Jarugandi struck gold with her role of Anitha in Vijay’s Bigil. The actress, who speaks to us from the US, says, “This is surreal. This is the first time I have travelled out of the country to ring in Christmas celebrations.” The actress goes on to say that she always wanted to celebrate the festival amid snowfall. “I travelled to New York from Boston and the forecast says that there won’t be a snowfall for the next few days. However, the vibe is brilliant and there’s a lot to explore. People across the world have come here to witness how Christmas is being celebrated. I am already on the lookout for unique Christmas delicacies in NYC,” she says with a palpable excitement.

Reba admits that she will miss her family this year on the special day. “Born and raised in Bengaluru, Christmas has always been a close-knit family affair for us. The celebration begins with the midnight mass. I am a part of my church’s choir too. Post prayers, the breakfast begins with appam and stew. I can cook, but it is mom’s preparation for Christmas and the spread is really good starting from chicken to pork — not to forget the cakes and wines. I believe turkey is something that I should try in NYC this year,” she says.

Asked about her Christmas memories, the actress says, “We play Secret Santa within the family using nicknames. I am quite generous when it comes to gifting. I ensure that my angel is pampered with good gifts. This time the person should wait till I return from my holidays to get his/her Christmas gift,” she smiles.

Reba will join the shoot of Vishnu Vishal’s FIR once she is back from the US. “This is a film that I signed post Bigil. My role of Anitha resonated with the audience big time. Wherever I go, people recognise me by the name of my character, which is overwhelming,” she confesses. According to her, the character she portrayed in Bigil was a responsibility of sorts.

“I signed quite a few films before Bigil and Mazhayil Nanaigiren is one of them. It is a breezy romantic entertainer for which I have completed the shoot. I also have a Malayalam film titled Forensic, which is an investigative thriller. Post Bigil, I am not in a rush because I have understood that a good role instantly strikes a chord with the audience. I will do films that come with good scripts in future. I’m hopeful that 2020 will be a good year with decent projects in my pipeline. I wish the readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” she signs off.