‘Many doors have opened after Beyond the Clouds’

Actor Malavika Mohanan is enjoying the phase she’s currently in. After all, her first international film Beyond The Clouds, directed by the Oscar-nominated Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, earned her some great reviews. Now there are reports that the actor is in talks to costar with none other than Rajinikanth in a Tamil movie.

Malavika, who has mainly worked in Malayalam cinema before being cast in the Majid Majidi movie, says that things have become decidedly smoother after the movie’s India release in April this year.

“When you’re aspiring to be an actor, unless you prove yourself, people don’t take you seriously, and that’s [true] for anyone out there. But the moment someone like Majid Majidi puts his faith in you, or casts you, [it] opens up so many doors, professionally.”

“After the movie released,” shares Malavika, “A lot of people saw it, not just the masses, but a lot of [film] industry people, too. That has helped me, because people approached me for projects. Personally, too, it has boosted my confidence, as one [usually] has self-doubts.”

Besides the rumoured Rajinikanth movie, Bollywood is on Malavika’s radar, too. “I’m definitely in talks for Hindi films. This is where I want to work in. I have grown up in Mumbai, and this is where I want to be. Also, I like [working in] a lot of [different] genres, as sticking to just one will be boring,” says the actor, who is also clear about the kind of films she doesn’t want to be a part of.

“I’d love to do most things, except for the really sexist comedies that are made in India. Doing different films, that’s where the fun is... That’s the beauty of Bollywood films, there are so many different films happening in the same industry at the same time,” signs off Malavika.