Would love to be directed by Alphonse, Jeethu in Malayalam: Abitha

ANKITA NAIR

CHENNAI: Abitha Venkatraman considers herself privileged to work on OTT platforms, in a variety of different genres. Exploring the OTT space again with Oru Kodai Murder Mystery, after Care of Kaadhal, Akash Vaani and other impressive work of hers, has been nothing short of an exciting roller coaster ride. “Oru Kodai Murder Mystery (OKMM) was completely short in Kodaikanal, with a schedule of 35 days. It was fascinating, and is in contrast to my previous characters,” explains the actor.

The Care of Kaadhal actor, since her childhood, has been smitten by horror films. Recalling her school days, she states “I rewind to those good old days, when my friends and I would love reading RL Stine’s Goosebumps. We would go to the library just to get our hands on the book, and read turning pages, as per the instructions at the bottom of the page. Growing up, thrillers and mysteries became my thing. When OKMM came to me for the audition, I didn’t know it was a thriller in the first place. Only after multiple rounds of auditioning, I came to know it was to do with finding the killer. that got me intrigued.”

Abitha admires the work of director Ashwin Saravanan, who has some gripping horror thrillers, which she wishes to be a part of someday. “I fell in love with Connect, which came out last year. His horror films are very authentic, without unwanted or forced elements of scare,” the actor tells us.

The audience applauded Sanjana, the actor’s character name in OKMM, with immense love and praise. Abitha speaks about the preparation that went in, behind the scenes, stating, “We had an intense workshop spanning 15 days, with a tutor assigned to train us. Since I was playing a teenager, it was crucial for me to think, feel, and look like one, without acting mature. The workshop groomed me to play my part at ease. It also helped all of us to mingle with each other freely, and the stranger feeling was no longer there between us all. I also had a close friend in the series, and bonding with her was made easy, with certain general exercises during the process.”

Playing a younger role after a certain age was certainly a very conscious attempt for Abitha. “I had to consciously think like a 12th grader, which was hard for me now, as I am way more mature. I had to put myself into my own shows, dating back to my school days when I was a complete nerd. All I can remember is being with my books,” says the actor.

As an animal lover, she is a volunteer with quite a few NGOs and animal welfare organisations that help care for the ones who need it the most. “This aspect of my life is something I want people to know more about. Acting is a part of my life. But, I have a lot more to myself, other than my profession. The welfare of street animals is the little change I would want to bring into my surroundings. I would advise people to adopt, not shop,” she requests.

The actor, to support her cause, runs an online NGO for the welfare of street animals, along with her friend. ‘Prani Animal Trust’ goes with the belief of #beinghumantoanimals, where it protects and rescues street animals in need.

We will soon see the actor making her debut with her Telugu film, playing one of the leads, which is in the post-production stage. “It’s a very sweet and simple family drama that I am grateful to be a part of. We shot the film in a small village in Telangana. I have a good grip on the Telugu language, but there was still a lot for me to learn and master. The film will have a theatrical release, as our producer is very keen on releasing the film in theatres,” she shares.

The film also will show Abitha dancing her feet to her first romantic song, which is a thrilling milestone for her, as she hasn’t been part of a song in her Tamil projects yet. “Shooting for a song for the first time was a great experience. Being a romantic song, my co-actor and I got along as friends, making it easy for us to romance each other on screen,” adds the actor.

Abitha also expresses her desire to work in the Malayalam language, with directors like Jeethu Joseph. Expressing her desire, she says “The real and authentic content that Malayalam films have is admirable. I have loved the industry, from the amazing works of Alphonse Puthren, Jeethu Joseph and so many others, that I really can’t pick one.”

Abitha will also be seen sharing the screen with actor Sathyaraj, where the second schedule of the film is yet to begin.